Scars On My Soul
by Rimnerel Ayasugi
Summary: When Kenny was younger, something happened to him to scar him deeply. Going to Russia for the Championships exposes his scars for the first time. Can one individual help him heal his pain? (Kenny x Tala) -COMPLETE-
1. Shadows

Rimnerel: Let's see...  
  
Nakago: It's a new project, that's all you have to say.  
  
Rimnerel (jumps): Wah! What are you doing here?  
  
Nakago: Muse for this piece along Enrique, Johnny, and Kai maybe.  
  
Nakoruru: Don't forget I was a part of this project too. After all, we wrote this as a challenge effort between us.  
  
Rimnerel: You're right. Okay, everyone, this is one of my first Ke/Ta pairings that I wrote with my sister as a challenge to see what we could do on it. I hope everyone likes this piece! It is a bit dark and angst, but hey, that never hurts anyone.  
  
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It was another distinctively quiet night for the Bladebreakers, Japan's number one beyblade team, who were about to head off to Russia for the World Championships. This was about to be it, the tournament they have fought towards over the last several months. If they won against the Russian team, they would be crowned the world champions. Everyone was excited in their own ways.  
  
Tyson, unofficial leader and some of the driving force behind the Bladebreakers' team, could not sit still for anything all night after that small side detour with the Majestics. But who could blame him? Up until now, all the tournaments had been won. Nothing seemed to be able to stop them.  
  
Max, ever cheerful and optimistic was just as enthusiastic about things as his best friend Tyson. The two were joking around about what they would do once they won the world championships in Russia. Rei, seated beside the constantly brooding team captain of the Bladebreakers, only smiled at that simple nature of his friend and that of his boyfriend.  
  
Yes, Rei and Max were together. As strange as it seemed, everyone knew. The way Rei looked at Max when he thought no one saw him. The looks when Max walked into a room, his eyes always following the blonde. It was very obvious, though not as obvious as Tyson and Kai's reluctant romance, or rather blossoming romance. Their stubbornness got in the way most times, which allowed neither to say it. With time, maybe that could change.  
  
Everyone was in their own little mode, so they paid no attention to their last teammate, Kenny. The young man didn't mind so much, he was use to just being there without being acknowledged. It was a habit he overlooked now. He really didn't want attention in the first place. He would like to sink into the crowd. That's how he's been. Occasionally his eyes lifted from the computer screen, staring at the others. He smiled slowly, before it dropped completely.  
  
His hair concealed the eyes flickering over his friends. Well, he guessed he could say they were his friends. Sometimes he wondered if they really were. At times when he really needed them...he wondered if they really heard his silent cries? Whether they could look at him some days and question if he was all right? Maybe he was holding so little faith in their bond, their friendship that was starting to tighten even more.  
  
Kenny stood up, a few eyes shifting to him. He smiled, a practiced chore by now in his life. "I'm getting sleepy, I'll see you guys tomorrow."  
  
"Oh, okay. Night Kenny," Max smiled.  
  
"I think we should all get some sleep," Rei suggested, turning his eyes back to Max. "We have to leave out tomorrow."  
  
"Rei is right," Kai said, opening his eyes looking at everyone in the room, but they lingered on Tyson for a long second. Kenny could have chuckled at the obvious want between them. They should just let nature take its course and screw each other. Maybe then they wouldn't be so hostile between each other.  
  
"I suppose so," Tyson shrugged. "Well, I'll say good night to you guys. I need my beauty sleep."  
  
"You sleep like a log, Tyson," Max teased.  
  
"If that's your beauty sleep, I'd hate to see what real beauty sleep for you is," Kai remarked as he stood up. Ah, there it goes once again. It was late this time, Kenny thinks as he leaves the room, hearing Tyson shout something back at Kai. Those two really needed time alone so they could just screw and scream. Vent out some of that pent up frustrations from the first time they met.  
  
Walking out the living room to the hotel suite they were staying in the night, Kenny headed for the room that he assigned himself. The others were sharing doubles, Max and Rei assigning themselves a room, probably to be alone with one another for a change. Which left Tyson and Kai to share a room. Kenny suspected Rei and Max did this to get the two talking, maybe admitting things to each other, later getting out all that pent up frustration.  
  
Making it into his room, Kenny closed the door, allowing the semi darkness to surround him. He was use to it by now. It was a welcoming relief from the many times he had to wear the familiar mask of that other Kenny when he stood in the light. At least in the darkness he could throw away that mask, that façade he should not hold onto.  
  
Putting his laptop down on a table, Kenny proceeded to strip out of his clothing. The darkness ran invisible fingers over his skin, hiding the scars, and not just the ones that ones carved on his mind. There was a scar on his chest, it start at his left nipple, running jaggedly downwards, stopping at his navel. At times that scar ached, it was a scar for his heart and soul, or so he had been told.  
  
Raising a hand to the damaged tissue, he slowly ran a hand from its start to where it ended at his navel. This was not the only scar he had, but this one caused him the most pain. The reason he could only rest in darkness. Looking down, he stared at faint lines on his wrists. Those had been from when he was ten. "I almost escaped that time. Almost..."  
  
Kenny dropped his hand from the damaged skin, feeling another feeling overcome him. That familiar burning in the back of his mind that told Kenny what it was he should do about it all, the one that didn't care if there were others who may ask why he did it. Contemplate if it was something they did to cause him to slip away, or something they didn't do. Whether or not they had seen the signs and just shrugged it off. Walking over to the bag he carried, Kenny rifled through it, pulling out a t-shirt, slipping it over his head.  
  
Next door he heard Max and Rei saying something to one another before silence replaced words. Listening, he could catch a slight sigh from next door. With another short smile, Kenny climbed into his bed. It did not take long before sleep enveloped him. The night went on, the Bladebreakers settling into sleep. Except for one figure.  
  
In the contrast of moonlight and darkness, a body contorted itself. A sheen of sweat dampened the body from head to toe. The damp hair clung to the fear stricken face that continued to dream. The head tossed and turned, silent pleas escaping the lips. Fists struck out at the air, unclenching to push away some invisible force invading the peaceful confines of sleep.  
  
For a while the figure fought whatever it was that frightened or threatened him, until his arms were slowly pinned to the bed with some effort. The body twisted and wretched, trying to get away. A look of pain settling on that delicate anguished face. A long silent scream slipped pass his lips as his body quavered one last time, arching into a painful angle before falling limply to the bed.  
  
By now, the boy was sheet white, laying on the bed whimpering with pain and terror. Tears subconsciously rose, trailing a path down his face. For a while this continued until the young man woke up, his eyes dark as he shifted them around the room, searching for something. When it was apparent it wasn't there, he relaxed. Pulling himself into a sitting position, the young man wrapped his arms around his shivering form.  
  
*Did you really think you could escape?* a voice whispered cruelly into his ears. *You will never be able to escape me. You worthless little bastard. As long as you have that scar, you're mine.*  
  
"No...leave me alone," Kenny cried, his body bending over into his face rested into his thighs, his body visibly shaking with terror and hopelessness. Why? Why couldn't he escape?  
  
*You know there's no one that can help you. You are alone. Get use to it. You're mine forever. Until I get tired of you.*  
  
Kenny shut his ears off to the cold laughter, rocking back and forth trying to ease his suffering. For a long time, this went on until he once more fell into an uneasy rest. The rest of his team was oblivious to the darkness trying to lay claim on his soul as it had once tried to do in the past.  
  
~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~  
  
Rimnerel: And there we go. The first chapter of this five-part story. Why only five parts you asked? Onee-chan, would you like to answer that one?  
  
Nakoruru: Because we had different projects to do that prevented us from making it longer. But don't worry, the chapters are not as short as this one, we were just getting the feel of how we wanted to do this since I wrote a paragraph then she wrote a paragraph and had to go on what the other wrote the previous paragraph.  
  
Nakago: With commentary from muses every now and then.  
  
Rimnerel: Yah...well...anyway, if you guys like this chapter, I will see can I update it next week while I try to find the second chapter.  
  
Nakoruru: That's what you get for not putting it in a notebook.  
  
Rimnerel: I don't like you either. (^ ^) Bye gang, next week if you like this one. 


	2. Thoughts

Rimnerel: Okay, since I got such a great response for the first chapter and you all said you wanted to read the second one, I shall post it.  
  
Nakoruru: Or rather the pages of chapter 2 you found.  
  
Rimnerel: You know...I don't think you needed to add that.  
  
Nakago: It's not her fault though you lost the other chapters amidst your other scattered pieces of papers.  
  
Rimnerel: You know...I don't think anyone needed to know that much yet. Enrique, do the thanks for me.  
  
Enrique: Okay. Rim and Nako would like to thank B. Tiamat Atardecer, White Dog, The-Dark-Fire-Elf, russle, blazing-wolf-08, FREAK014, Dannee- san, Dark-Demi-2001, and Celtic-shadow for all their reviews and hope you enjoy this chapter too.

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"Hey Kenny! It's time to get up! Come on."  
  
The brunette was drifting back into consciousness when he heard someone call his name. He couldn't tell who it was, but they had a strong grip on his shoulder, shaking him. His mind regressed by to another time, before he relaxed around human interaction. Before his eyes opened, his hand reacted, smacking the person's grip of his shoulder away. His eyes opened, waiting for the first blow, but found his blonde friend Max staring down at him with bewilderment.  
  
"Kenny?" Max's eyes reflected with shock that his friend would react so simply to a light shake to awaken him.  
  
"Max...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to," Kenny said, finding his words eventually. "I really didn't mean to..."  
  
"It's okay, I think I understand," said Max, shaking his head with a smile.  
  
"You do?" Kenny inquired.  
  
"It's one of those mornings. I think everyone has them. I have them sometimes. I think most days Tyson's like that. Rei's still trying to wake him up," Max replied, regaining his former composure of a bubbly grin. "But I doubt Kai's ever like that cause he's always up before everyone else."  
  
"Probably not," Kenny brought a smile to his lips.  
  
"Well, let me let you get dressed. Don't take too long, we're leaving in an hour Chief," Max said, as he headed out the room. Kenny watched the male for a long minute, until the door was closed. Sitting up, Kenny looked out the window at the morning.  
  
It was going to be another nice day. Today he and the other Bladebreakers would be going to Russia for the World Championships. Time was drawing nearer by the minutes that ticked away. Within days the tournament would be underway and would cover the length of almost a week. After the Bladebreakers either came out victorious or the losers, things would go back to normal.  
  
Normal...will things really be normal once I... Kenny thought as he got out of his bed to get a clean pair of clothing from his bags. Will things really be the same?   
  
Down the hall there was a loud thud before a strangled curse escaped the lips of a certain loud mouth, blue haired, storm dragon wielder, which was directed towards a certain fire phoenix wielder. Standing there listening to them argue, Kenny wondered if they managed to get any breakthrough the previous night. It was always hard to tell, maybe some of it was a big act for them and they were already a couple.  
  
Kenny really was going to miss them all after the Championships were over. Not just the arguing between Kai and Tyson, but Tyson, Rei, Max, all the people that they met along the way. The few times that Kenny smiled genuinely gave him hope. Tyson and Max were after all the ones that led him out of the dark one or two times. They were his first real friends. Of course Tyson was a headache to deal with sometimes, but he had a good heart and was a very positive natured person.  
  
Tyson probably was the first person that made him smile since...well...he was younger. At times Kenny was drawn to the male, more than just friendship, until Kenny forced himself to back away. He saw that Tyson's heart belonged to Kai, and nothing he could do could change that. Almost instantly his feelings transferred over to Max. Another person that was able to make him smile so simply because of his nature. At first when he and Tyson met Max, Kenny was jealous of the bubbly blonde.  
  
The way he could direct Tyson's attention with just being his natural self made Kenny envious. Eventually Kenny it won Kenny over too and it gave the young man a trickle of hope that he could forget the past and walk towards the future. That maybe his soul was not as stained as he suspected. But...the nightmares persisted no matter how close Kenny grew to the two. He could still hear that cruel voice in his head. Repeating the malevolent prophecies he was left with when he was ten.  
  
"I wonder would they understand," Kenny murmured to himself before shaking his head. "It doesn't matter...at least it won't soon."

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Kenny stared out the window of his cabin on the ship. He would rather stay in his room after his last excursion out on a ship. The other Bladebreakers were sitting around the room doing random things. Tyson, Max, and Rei were playing cards, while Kai sat away from the group meditating or sleeping or whatever it was he always did. Soon they would be in Russia. Kenny's thoughts to a darker turn before he realized that someone was watching him, shifting his sight, he realized it was Kai.  
  
The brunette watched Kai get up from where he sat, walking over and sitting next to Kenny. Kenny frowned, trying to understand what it was that the Bladebreakers team captain wanted. Did he notice the mood that Kenny slipped into? Minutes ticked by as silence settled between them.  
  
"Do you know anything about the Russian team?" Kai asked just when Kenny was opening his mouth. The younger male closed his mouth, redirecting his thoughts. So that was what Kai wanted. He should have know things were related to the team or making the team better.  
  
"I haven't been able to find out a thing about them," Kenny said.  
  
"Figured as much," Kai mumbled before turning his eyes on Tyson who was oblivious. "They don't release much about the Russian team, they would rather have the element of surprise."  
  
"They probably looked at all the other teams' stats, right?" Kenny asked, with a smile forming. It was amusing the phoenix could not take his eyes off the storm dragon for a few seconds no matter how controlled he thought his emotions were.  
  
"Probably," Kai said. Kenny had a feeling the real reason the male came over was to find an excuse to watch Tyson.  
  
"You know Kai, if you tell him, you won't just have to look anymore," Kenny remarked in a low tone. He watched Kai stiffen slightly, not saying a word. "You two are amusing. Everyone can tell, yet you continue to insist on running each other around a table."  
  
"I don't—"Kai started defensively.  
  
"Like Tyson. He says the same thing, but how often do you believe those words. I doubt little, if at all you think it's true. It's as easy to see as with Rei and Max," Kenny interrupted. Kai was silent after that, maybe thinking about what Kenny said or...well who knew with Kai.  
  
The remaining trip to Russia was like that as with the journey to the Russian hotel they would be staying at. Tyson occasionally complained about the weather and so on. Once they were settled in the hotel the group went around checking out the town of Moscow. Eventually they got a small taste of where their opponents lived.  
  
Kenny, once or twice, noticed how Kai would seem afraid. His eyes flickering dangerously with learned fear. Curiosity for this reaction played on the tip of Kenny's mind until they got back to the hotel. Tyson's usual antics filling the evening, until there was a threat of making Tyson sleep outside in the snow, settled things down. Eventually four of five Bladebreakers settled down for the night. One remained awake, afraid that sleep would bring more nightmares.  
  
More times than not, they reoccurred, stopping for a period of time of maybe two or so weeks before coming back to haunt him for months at a time. Those nights were the nights he would not sleep. His aide being alertness pills or other items that contributed to staying awake. His hair served to hide the many days his eyes would be bloodshot with sleeplessness. From time to time, he would start hallucinating from the sleep deprivation. Only then would he collapse into sleep, knowing the dreams could not reach then.  
  
Kenny looked out at the night, seeing the stars shining in the sky. When he was younger, he foolishly wished that... "Life would be better. It still hasn't. Only I'm making the effort to walk away. Only I want change." Leaving his room he shared with depression, Kenny headed outside to the open area of the hotel. His thoughts set on one thing, getting away from the past.  
  
Tilting his head back, he allowed his hair to fall out of his tired empty eyes, looking up at the moon. He could hold out for a little while longer. Just a little while though, after the Championships, he doubted he could go back home. It would probably hurt his foster parents the worst when they discovered what he did. But hadn't they always known there was another chance he would try to take that dive off the edge once more?  
  
"How many people will take the full weight of things, like I have for so long?" Kenny whispered to the stars. "When can I leave this world and rest?"

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Rimnerel: Okay...that's all I can say this.  
  
Nakoruru: Well...it was sort of longer than the other chapter. Well...not much really to say. Things pick up the next chapter with a bit about the tournament and its final match, which will lead to the story propelling forward and longer chapter!  
  
Nakago: At least you two know where the next chapter is right? (silence) You're hopeless, come on let's go find it.  
  
Johnny (to readers): More than likely the next chapter will come out next week some time if those two geniuses find the chapter. So keep watch out for it.


	3. Closets

Rimnerel: I don't have much to say. I just want to say that I'm...  
  
Tyson (interrupting): You went to the beach without telling Max and I!  
  
Max: We wanted to go to the beach and check out the babes!  
  
Rimnerel: Well, sorry, but I had to get away from you guys. Anyway, we're taking a trip next month. You guys are going then.  
  
Tyson and Max: Yay!  
  
Rimnerel: Okay, besides that being all off the topic at hand, I want to thank B. Tiamat Atardecer, Hell, russle, FREAK014, and The-Dark-Fire-Elf for all the reviews and support of this story. It's still a bit gritty, but the kinks are working out of this one. Hope you enjoy the third chapter, which is definitely going to pick up. Enjoy.  
  
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Kenny watched the match with growing anticipation. This wasn't good, not one bit. The brunette's eyes once more went to the monitor. Displayed on it was the match between Tyson and the team captain of the Demolition Boys team, Tala. Everything went well in the first round between the two bladers. Tyson was as arrogant as always, running his mouth, but he had been able to get the job done.  
  
Second match looked to be in Tyson's favor, when something strange happened. Somehow, the two bladers were encased in a huge barricade of ice. Kenny didn't know how, or if it was even possible, but the two managed to transcend time and space, battling in some other dimensional area. The whole thing caught everyone involved by surprise...well except for Tala. Which won him the second battle.  
  
Max was standing by the huge berg of ice, pounding on it, trying to get Tyson to answer him. He was scared, Kenny couldn't blame him Tyson was alone in this battle. Kai told Max that it was no use. That Tyson could not hear them. Kenny studied the male as he stared at the block of ice. The brunette didn't think anyone noticed, but he did. That flicker of worry within the Bladebreakers' team captain's eyes. Max wasn't the only one worried about Tyson.  
  
After that incident on the lake when Kai had switched sides and called out the members on the Bladebreakers squad, Kenny saw that look within Kai's eyes. When he was drifting away from them, realizing his mistakes, Kenny could see that look. The shocked look of realization when Tyson held out his hand, and for a few seconds, Kai shed tears. Kenny overheard part of their conversation that night Kai came back. When the two males thought everyone was asleep. The confessions that finally came out, right now...Kai must feel completely helpless to help the one he loved, when it was always Tyson that seemed to be there for him.  
  
"Kenny, there has to be something we can do for him?" Max said, turning back to the brunette, breaking into Kenny's thoughts.  
  
The brunette looked up, glancing at the monitor, then back at block of ice. "I don't know what to tell you Max. There's nothing I can think of that will help. Tyson has to do this on his own."  
  
"But..." Max slumped down on the bench for a minute, the concern in his eyes growing. "What if he can't do this on his own? He might need our help."  
  
"There's nothing we can do. Everything rests on Tyson's shoulders." Kenny turned his eyes back to Kai who had a clenched hand against the ice. As if he could will himself to slip through and go to Tyson. "We just have to believe in him."  
  
"I hope that's enough." The battle raged on, Tala looking to gain the upper hand over Tyson inch by inch. Until finally everyone thought that the red haired captain had finally overpowered Tyson. But just when things were looking grim, Tyson and Dragoon rebounded back, taking everything that the Russian boy had, and turning it against him. With a very surprising upset, Tyson won the match, finally breaking the ice around them, returning things back to normal.  
  
Everyone from the Demolition Boys team was surprised. They had the battle in their hands, but then Tyson pulled...well, a miracle out of his hat, winning the match and ruining Biovolt's plans. The crowd cheered and was amazed by the victory of the Japanese team. Hell, even a few of the other teams had expected the worst, but Tyson once more came through when everything was on the line. Kenny smiled, going over with Kai and Max to congratulate the blue haired male on a job well done.  
  
For now, Kenny would remain happy. This was no time for him to think about his other plans. The first thing he had to do was be happy for the team. They made it, not just to the Championships and competed in the finals, but won. Their team was now the new world champion beyblade team. That was a great feat for a team that just starting out only months before. Everyone was proud of them, there was a right to be.  
  
What I can want can wait until later, when things settle a bit. Kenny thought as he listened to Tyson and Max joking around. Standing back, he watched the two joke and mess around, the other teams coming up and joining in. For a brief moment, Kenny caught Tyson lift his eyes to Kai, finding the male staring back at him with a warm smile. Tyson's cheeks turned a slight rose colored before fading. They would all be okay, Tyson had Kai now, and Max had Rei, they would be able to move on.  
  
'That's right, run away.' That evil voice came back into Kenny's head, mocking him. That's all you've ever been good at. But you can't go far. I will hunt you down. They will know the truth then, and they will hate you also.   
  
'Shut up!' Kenny shouted mentally, squeezing his eyes shut, forcing the voice to fade into the back of his mind. It wouldn't stay there long, he knew. Now that everything was over, the team would go back to normal lives. He couldn't do that. Who knew how much longer he could escape the past before it came back to shove him into another tight, dark, cold closet where there was nothing to grasp onto.  
  
"Kenny?" The young man looked up to find Mr. Dickenson, walking up with Tyson's grandfather and father. The elderly male's face looked slightly concerned. Kenny forced a smile on his lips. He didn't want to worry the man, especially not on a day like this.  
  
"It's nothing. I guess, just shocked that Tyson did it," Kenny forced a note of cheerfulness in his voice to cover his slightly dark thoughts.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine." The man's kindness touched him. He wondered how would Mr. Dickenson take the news once Kenny went through with his plan? Would he blame himself for not seeing it now and pushing the issue? Would he wonder why and go looking in Kenny's past? Or would he just feel so much grief that he wouldn't know where to start? "Let's go fill Tyson's ego even more."  
  
The smile on Kenny's face did not fool the male, as the boy had wanted it to. Mr. Dickenson watched the brunette head over to Tyson, a smile on his lips. But there was something to it. Something the elderly male could not place. It was as if there were other things on his mind besides his team winning the world championship. Maybe there was, but Kenny seemed to be resistant to talk about it.  
  
"You okay, Mr. Dickenson?" Tyson's father asked, noticing the male's spirits seemed to damper faintly.  
  
"Oh, yes. I'm fine. Something just hit me," he answered.  
  
"Anything important?"  
  
"Right now, I don't know. I will let you know if it is." Mr. Dickenson was compelled to find out why Kenny looked as if he was about to walk away from the team forever. Maybe it was just his paranoia kicking in, or maybe it really was something serious. Only time, would tell.  
  
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Kenny stood apart from the rest of the teams in the large reception hall. His eyes wandered from one person to another, staring at their happy, smiling faces. Each one of them probably had a reason for smiling, maybe. Or maybe they were like him, smiling, buying just a bit more time for himself. Gathering just a few more memories to think about on his last few minutes.  
  
'They all seem so happy. It's almost too bad that I have to do this. Maybe they may think I'm being selfish for this, or maybe, who knows, they will pity me. For going through this alone, never speaking up. But I've tried. I tried showing them no one paid much attention.' Kenny watched Tyson joking with Michael of the All Starz. He didn't know what was being said, but Tyson was all grins. More than likely Tyson was ego basking.  
  
"Kenny, may I talk to you for a minute?" The brunette turned his head to find Mr. Dickenson walking up to where Kenny was leaning against a wall.  
  
"Sure, I don't see why not? Don't tell me that you've already found us our next competition so soon after becoming world champions?" Kenny stated with a short grin half hopeful. If they went into another battle, the others would need him. He wouldn't have to leave them just yet. Which meant that maybe this time around they would see what they were so blind to for so long.  
  
"No, I think you boys need a rest for a while." Mr. Dickenson watched disappointment flicker across the boy's face. "But I'm sure that it won't be long before you boys have plenty of challenges."  
  
"You're probably right," Kenny said. "So, if you didn't want to talk about some new battle, what did you want to speak to me about, Mr. Dickenson?"  
  
"Kenny...earlier...something was on your mind. I don't know if you want to talk about it or not, but..." Mr. Dickenson started.  
  
"Hey, Mr. D!" Tyson ran over to where Kenny and the older male were. "Hey, Mr. D! I want you to hear what Michael just said. Even he has to admit my superior skills!"  
  
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," Kenny said as Tyson was dragging the male to where a bemused Michael was speaking with Max's mother about something. Staring at the scene for a minute, Kenny pushed himself away from the wall. Quietly slipping away unnoticed the young man walked out of the hall. Not bothering to grab a coat, he went down the stairs, exiting the hotel.  
  
A sharp, but light wind sliced through his shirt, despite it was fairly insulated. He didn't know whether it was a good thing or not that he decided to put on pants for the reception. Maybe it would have been better to freeze to death out in the snow, going numb from the world was the perfect way to end things. Standing there for another minute, the brunette began walking. If they did come looking for him, he didn't want them to find him so easily as this.  
  
Snow crunched under his feet as he walked away from the hotel. Down the halfway empty streets of Moscow. The silence surrounded him, quieting his thoughts so he could think about how he wanted to go about this. Should it be quick, allowing the world to fade from sight without being able to reminisce on the past few months? Or maybe slow, tormenting him with the fact that he was never able to show them his true side for fear that they would turn him away. Look at him with pity and sympathy, eventually giving him understanding. If he let his end be slow, the voice would return, laughing, taunting him until his eyes closed forever.  
  
Kenny's feet led him to a park some ways from the hotel. This was a good place to do it. Spotting the bench covered in a light sprinkling of snow, Kenny went over to it, sitting down. Leaning his head back, his hair fell from his tired, bloodshot eyes, as he looked up at the stars. The night before was another series of nightmares that kept him from restless sleep. Leading him to find the aid of caffeine and pills.  
  
Reaching into his pocket, the brunette pulled out an object, flicking it open to reveal a switchblade. He always kept it on him, just in case he needed to escape sooner than expected. In the light on the moon, the cold metal shone with an almost comforting glint. Beckoning him to run it over the familiar course of skin that connected his veins to his blood flood. The last time he didn't know that, it was just an attempt to escape.  
  
---------{Flashback}  
  
The ten-year-old boy stared at the floor as his things were being brought in the house he would be staying in now. He was now going to live with Dawn and Hojo Shinoda. His aunt and uncle on his mother's side of the family, they were supposed to be his new mother and father now. But the boy didn't want new parents he just wanted to be left alone now. Why didn't everyone understand that?  
  
"Kenny?" A hand lightly touched his shoulder, making him look up at his aunt Dawn. Her eyes held sympathy for what happened to him. He hated it, he didn't want to be pitied he wanted to be told that it was okay for him to rest. To never open his eyes again and face the day. "You okay?"  
  
"I'm fine," he mumbled, looking back down at his feet.  
  
"Come on, let's go up to your new room. You must be tired," she said, indicating to the fact this was his first day out of the hospital. His most of the damage done to his body had helped, but he still had a lot more healing to do. The doctors told that to his aunt and uncle. Saying that the wounds on the outside were not as significant as the wounds laying open inside his mind...well, he could have told them that.  
  
The woman led the boy up the stairs, down the hall to a room that was recently furnished with new paint. Kenny looked around, seeing a bed, a bookshelf full of books, table with a computer on it, a dresser, and closet. His eyes stayed on the closet for a while, being reminded of all the times when he was four he was made to sit a locked closet for days on end. Punishment for something he did.  
  
"Do you like the room? Your uncle and I heard you do well in school, so we brought you a computer and found out you also liked to read," the woman said.  
  
"I read to keep everyone away so they couldn't see the marks," the little boy said. "My teacher didn't know either, she thought I was naturally quiet and shy."  
  
"Kenny..." Tears welled up in the woman's eyes as she knelt down, taking him into her arms and hugging him gingerly. "I'm so sorry that this had to happen to you. If I had known...I would have done everything in my power to adopt you. After your mother died, I...I don't know. Please forgive me."  
  
"It's not your fault, Dawn. It's no one's fault what happened. I don't blame you," Kenny said, trying to comfort the crying woman, but having no idea what to do. He was so use to being smacked around rather than hugged that he was at a lost for going about this.  
  
"I'm sorry, you need your rest, don't you?" The woman let him go, wiping her eyes. "I'll let you get some sleep. Sleep well Kenny." Kissing him on the forehead, his Aunt Dawn walked out the room, closing it behind herself. Kenny stood for a long minute, staring at the door before walking to it, engaging the lock. Going back to his bags, he rifled around in one of the bags before finding what he was looking for.  
  
In packing his things, he managed to hide it. Holding up the blue handle object, he carefully pulled open the metal part of it. This was one of his father's knives, ironic how the one person he hated the most, would help him in the end. Studying the blade, he touched his finger to it, sliding the tender flesh across the sharp end. He didn't hiss when blood trickled down the blade. It was still sharp, that was a good thing.  
  
Holding the knife in one hand, the little boy rolled up his sleeve, looking for a good spot to cut. His eyes studied the whole arm before deciding upon the wrist. He would cut there, and for good measure he ended up slicing both. Making his way to the closet, blood trailing in a steady flow behind him. He wanted to end it in the dark, where he at times felt the safest. It would find end he thought as he closed the door to the closet, allowing himself to be engulfed in his own silent lucidity.  
  
------------{Flashback end}  
  
'Only it wasn't the end. My aunt came back because she forgot something. She knocked and knocked, I could hear her slightly, her desperate pleas for me to open the door. I could hear the terror in her voice, only I shut it out. I slipped further, but when I came to, I was back in the hospital.' Kenny played with the tip of the knife idly.  
  
Four months of seeing a psychiatrist about his problems didn't help. They thought he was cured, but they couldn't see the scars much deeper. Continuing to bleed, killing Kenny slowly. Trying to kill his self again around them was out of the question. So he waited, buying time until an opportunity came along. That opportunity came in the form of the Bladebreakers. Yet...  
  
"They will probably feel the most pain," Kenny murmured.  
  
"You know, there are other ways than using a knife, if you want to kill yourself," came a voice from in front of him. Lifting his head from the bench, he saw a pair of azure eyes looking at him. Realization hit him to who it was standing in front of him, watching Kenny play with the knife. "You're the last person I would have expected to commit suicide, small world after all I guess."  
  
"What do you want?" Kenny found himself saying. The male didn't immediately answer, he seated himself on the bench next to Kenny, bluntly taking the knife from the male and examining it.  
  
"Nice piece, it's been kept up," the older teen murmured. "Well, I suppose since you were planning to kill yourself with it before I interrupted you."  
  
"I asked you a question, what do you want?" Kenny said his tone tinged with anger.  
  
"Nothing, I just wanted some fresh air. It's really tense around that abbey with today's lost, so I decided to get out for a while," the male shrugged. "Aren't you from the Bladebreakers?"  
  
"Yes, so," Kenny said, reaching for the knife, but Tala held it out of his reach.  
  
"I was just wondering why you would want to kill yourself with such desperate eyes to escape this world," Tala said. "What's your name?"  
  
"What does it matter to you?" Kenny snapped.  
  
"Just making conversation," Tala shrugged. "Nothing wrong with getting in a little conversation before you off yourself is there?"  
  
Kenny stared at the male, being that he was so nonchalantly conversing with Kenny who was about to kill himself a minute ago. He stared at the older teen, blinking a few times. He didn't know why, but...he...wanted to be given a reason to be stopped. He didn't know why, it wasn't going to stop the nightmares that plagued him, nor end the taunting voice in his head. So why did he want this little lapse?  
  
"It's Kenny...Kenny Shinoda..."  
  
"Well, okay, that's a start I suppose. And mine is Tala Ivanov...I suppose there's no reason to tell you that. I told you once when you came looking for Kai at the abbey and I did just battle your teammate this afternoon. Stupid reply, scratch that," the male said to himself in amusement.  
  
"You're different..."  
  
"Different?" Tala stared at the male beside him.  
  
"In the tournament today you're different than now. That other time you were different also. I thought you guys from Biovolt were supposed to be evil and..."  
  
"Heartless?" Tala simpered. "I suppose that's the image Boris and Voltaire wants to paint. And I can understand with Bryan. Well..." The red head thought about it for a moment before smirking. "I suppose it's just an act to survive. I suppose that when I'm not around the others, I'm naturally like this. It's probably like your mask."  
  
"You...see it?"  
  
"I've grown up putting on masks my whole life, I understand how they fit and work. I can see the masks of others, even if they don't know I do," Tala said. "It's a habit of mine. So, what's your story?"  
  
"I don't want to talk about it," Kenny said.  
  
"You've allowed the wounds to run so deep that you don't care anymore if you have someone to listen to your side of things?" Tala said. "I suppose you need this then." The red head handed Kenny back the knife, getting up from his seat beside Kenny. "Go ahead, I'm not going to stop you, it's obvious you don't want help."  
  
"Are your mocking me?" Kenny demanded, standing up, leaving the knife on the bench.  
  
"Why would I mock you? You want to kill yourself, go ahead. It's your life, not mine," Tala shrugged. "Should I stop you from doing something you're going to do when you get another opportunity anyway? What sense would that make?"  
  
"You idiot! Just leave me alone!" Kenny became aware of the burning wetness slipping down his face. "You don't know what I've been through! Or what I had to survive through."  
  
"You're right, I don't know, you would rather leave the world asking that question of why," Tala stated. "So what if you've suffered, hundreds of people do everyday. In worst ways than you endured. The world is full of scarred people, so just shut up with the angst teen bit, and deal with it."  
  
The male walked back up to Kenny, staring down at him with a scold. His azure eyes froze Kenny in place as he moved the hair from Kenny's eyes. Studying the teary, red eyes. Kenny thought the male was staring down to his soul, seeing the scars still bleeding. After a moment, he let the hair fall back into place.  
  
"Maybe if you stop shutting yourself up in that closet, hiding from whatever it is that you're afraid of, then maybe you wouldn't need that knife. But who am I to tell you otherwise. I'm just a stranger in passing. What do I know?" he said.  
  
"Tala..."  
  
"You know, your friends probably don't know that you're in pain, only because you've fit that mask on so well, they think it's normal. If you gave them a sign, even as small as a frown, they would notice. No one can distinguish anything if you never do anything but smile when they look your way," he said, moving away from Kenny.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"Away from you," Tala smirked. "I need to find something to do until tense calms down at the abbey."  
  
"Wait!" Kenny shouted. The male stopped for a minute, looking back at Kenny.  
  
"What?" The male raised a brow.  
  
Kenny clenched his fists at his side, glaring at the red head. "I still hate you!" He watched the smile on the male's lips rise.  
  
"All right then. But, at least you aren't going to kill yourself now, are you?" Tala stated. Which was true in fact. As Kenny watched the male walk away, he looked at the knife once, yet had no urge to kill himself. He wondered, was this his mother's sign telling him that his time had not yet come?  
  
------------------------------  
  
Rimnerel: And another chapter is done! Oh, I have good and bad news for everyone!  
  
Max: Good and bad news? This is going to be something.  
  
Rimnerel: Anyway, I have good and bad news. Bad news is that I just discovered that my mother threw out the original copy of this story cause she thought it was trash. So, the chapters are gone forever!  
  
Tyson (shouting): And what's the good news!  
  
Rimnerel: Sissy and I plan to do a new version, which may in fact have more details than the first one! So, though the plan changes some, we're still going to write this together. So, I guess we will update next week. Bye now! 


	4. Falling

Rimnerel: Okay, finally I get back to this one. Sissy and I had a hard time making time to write this one together, so sorry for being so late. Sissy couldn't be here today cause she's asleep.  
  
Johnny: It took you both forever, so it better be good.  
  
Rimnerel: Shut up! I don't like you either! Okay, since I don't have much to say about this one. I will just get to the reviews. Max, kindly do them for me.  
  
Max: Okay! Rim would like to thank B. Tiamat Atardecer, russle, and FREAK014 for all your reviews.  
  
Rimnerel: And FREAK I don't plan on changing what I write just adding more to it, so don't worry. Now let's get on with the story that I've taken a lot of time to write.  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
Why?  
  
Kenny kept repeating and asking himself over and over again. Why had he stopped to think about things? Why hadn't he just done it? Why had he allowed himself to be so easily dissuaded from ending his life? The young man was in his bed curled into a fetal ball. His breaths ragged, heavy with the nightmare that still washed over him, the fear coating his tongue, mocking him at the weakness stilled into his being. He was so sure when he got back to the hotel sleep would be easy. That proved completely false.  
  
The nightmares grew stronger, coming in one wave after another. Refusing to release him from its trap until moments ago. That voice in Kenny's head, the same voice that's mocked him for three years now, cackled now at his failure. Enjoying all the torment upon the young man's spirit.  
  
'And you thought it would be that easy? You were better off using the knife when you had the opportunity, you foolish boy,' the voice sneered.  
  
"Shut up, leave me alone," Kenny muttered, clasping his hands over his ears.  
  
'You're nothing but a child still. Lost, afraid, alone, and need someone to hold your hand.'  
  
"Shut up!" Kenny squeezed his eyes shut, forcing the voice into the darkness. Silence did not ease him though, as a ragged sob tore from his lips, hurting his chest with its bitterness. "Why can't you just leave me alone? Why!"  
  
What use was it for him to do this? To continue to hurt if nothing changed? Kenny lay in bed for a long time, crying, hurting, and suffering from the scars bleeding throughout his body. After a while, the sobs stopped, leaving a dull ache in his chest. Finally making up his mind, Kenny got up from his bed, making his way to the bathroom. The other Bladebreakers were still sleep; it was only six in the morning. No one would be up for another hour or so, giving him plenty of time to die.  
  
Finding his way to his destination in his downtrodden state, Kenny cut on the light, looking in the mirror. His eyes red from the tears, and lost as a lamb. This would be the last time he would have to look at this depressing image. Opening the medicine cabinet, Kenny's eyes scanned over the contents until those distraught orbs rested on two particular objects: a bottle full bottle of 325mg aspirin and one for 200mg that was halfway empty.  
  
Grabbing both bottles from the cabinet, Kenny walked into the little kitchen area that the Bladebreakers' hotel suite had. Setting the two items down on the counter, Kenny went to the cabinet getting out a glass. Walking to the sink, he cut on the tap filling the glass with water then turned it off. Reaching into a drawer, Kenny found a small wooden rolling pin, which would indeed come in handy. Before going back over to his other items, Kenny pulled a clean towel from another drawer. With this done, Kenny went back to his bottles of aspirin.  
  
Setting the other items down, Kenny set to work open the towel and pour the entire bottle of 200mg aspirin in, adding a quarter of bottle of the 325mg strength in for good measure. He once read that the estimated amount required for an overdose was between 10 to 30 grams. (A/N: Which is true, I actually had a pharmacist print me out the information on aspirin! Meaning that if you take thirty-seven, 325mg aspirin, you have enough to OD...okay, don't you guys get any ideas on killing people.)  
  
Wrapping the towel in half, Kenny set to work turning the aspirins into a fine powder he put in his water when he was done. Getting out a spoon, he stirred everything up, making sure that it dissolved into the water.  
  
Walking into the living room once finished, Kenny sighed, taking in the sight of the slightly dark sky. The sun would be coming up strong soon. He wanted to watch the sun come up before he died. Seating himself on the couch facing the window, Kenny reflected on what the others would think. He wanted to die it wasn't their fault for it, so he hoped they didn't blame themselves. They would probably feel the pain worst because they never saw it.  
  
Kenny looked down at the grayish water for a long second before raising the glass to his lips. Tilting his head back, he allowed the water to wash across his tongue before sliding down his throat. Kenny wondered as he drained the entire glass of its contents whether or not his mother could watch over him while he burned in hell.  
  
The glass dropped to the carpet, Kenny rest on the length of the couch, closing his eyes slight, still watching the sky, until he drifted away from things. He hoped the others could understand things had to be this way. That was the only way it would end. The only way he could finally be free.  
  
----------------  
  
Rei was the first one to wake up that morning, which was a surprise since it was only 7:30 and the sounds of Kai watching TV or walking around usually were heard. It must have had something to do with Tyson saying something to him the previous night at the victory party. With a knowing smile, he looked down at his own lover, curled up against his chest with a content smile on his lips. Moving ever so slightly not to wake up the blonde, Rei retrieved his boxers from the floor, putting them on as he headed for the bathroom.  
  
To discover not only the light on, but the medicine cabinet open. Looking around, he realized that Kenny's room door was open also. Going to the male's room, he didn't find the brunette. The next logical place he could think of was the kitchen. On his way though, the neko-jin discovered his teammate on the couch.  
  
"Kenny, were you in the bathroom earlier?" Rei asked, walking up to the male. Kenny didn't answer him. Figuring the male was asleep, Rei reached down to lightly shake him when he felt the violent tremors emitting from the male. "Kenny?" The male still didn't answer his friend. As Rei leaned in closer, he realized something that scared him witless. "KAI! TYSON! MAX! HELP!"  
  
That was enough to get a very alert Kai Hiwatari up and moving along with a certain blonde. "What's wrong, Rei?" Kai was the one to ask.  
  
"There's something wrong with Kenny, he...he's shaking really bad," Rei said fearfully.  
  
"What?" Kai rushed over to the brunette on the couch, kneeling beside Kenny's body. With a quick check over also noticing the glass on the carpet with the white substance crusted around the rim. Dipping his finger into the edge of the glass, he licked at the substance, realizing what it was. Kai looked at Max and Rei, his eyes full of concern. "Max get me some blankets and wake Tyson up, Rei call for an ambulance immediately."  
  
"Why? What's wrong with Kenny?" Max inquired.  
  
"He's ingested some aspirin, I have no idea how many, but right now he's going into a shock. We're lucky he hasn't bitten off or swallowed his tongue, depending on how long he's been like this. Now get going, we don't have time to waste," Kai said to his two teammates.  
  
"Right!"  
  
Kai turned his attention back to Kenny with a frown. 'Why the hell did you do something as stupid as this? What is that you would want to get away from so much that you would do something like this?'  
  
---------------{Flashback}  
  
The little boy sat at the table pushing around the food on his plate. His eyes occasionally glancing up at the man that was sitting across the table from him eating, silence filled the empty, tense space. The four year old didn't know how the man could be so normal after... His momma had just died only days ago, and five hours ago those men put his momma in the ground, covering her with dirt. She looked so pretty, as if she was sleeping, but the little boy knew she wouldn't have woken up if he called to her.  
  
She was gone. Everyone that told him that as they hugged him, telling him that everything would be all right. That he would grow up strong and that he still had his papa to watch over him. Half of what they said he didn't understand, nor cared about. His momma wasn't coming back, that's all he understood. The gentle, smiling lady, who use to read him stories before tucking him in for the night. That sang him lullabies, who held him with he was afraid, assured him with small prayers, and loved him more than anyone else in the world.  
  
He missed her a lot. There would be no more smiles, or laughter, or songs. When he found her on the bathroom floor days ago, a wave of fear shot through him. It stayed with him until he learned that she wouldn't come back. He heard the doctor say something about bleeding on the inside, explaining to his father about this thing called hemorrhage, whatever that was.  
  
"Kenny, you aren't eating." The little boy's father spoke up, bringing the four-year-old Kenny back to the present. The boy looked up, seeing his papa watching him, a strange look in his eyes.  
  
"Not hungry," the four year old said.  
  
"Kenny, eat," ordered his father.  
  
"Not hungry," Kenny continued to protest.  
  
"Kenny." The man's voice changed from its usual tone. "I don't feel like going through this with you right now. Eat, boy."  
  
"Don't wanna." Tears welled up in the little boy's eyes frustrated that his papa was going to make him do something he didn't want to. If his mother were still there, she would understand.  
  
"Kenny, eat. I don't feel like dealing with your tantrum. It's already been a rough day for me. Do as you're told and eat your food."  
  
"Don't wanna! Not hungry!" The boy pushed his plate away and got up from the table. Kenny's father got up from the table also, heading after the boy that was running upstairs to his room. It didn't take the man very long to catch up to the boy. Before Kenny knew what was going on, he was yanked up into his father's arms.  
  
"I told you to eat, get back down stairs and eat," the male said in a very angry tone.  
  
"I'm not hungry! I don't want to eat! I want momma!" Kenny cried as the male stared at the boy in his arms very angrily. "I want momma, I want momma, I want momma!!"  
  
"Shut up! You know she's dead, she's not coming back, so deal with it!" Kenny continued to cry, not listening to his father. "Don't make me have to shut up myself Kenny." When the boy didn't show any signs that he was going to hush up, the male carried the boy into the room, tossing him on the bed as he pulled off his belt. Kenny didn't notice as he continued to cry, until something bit him sharply across his legs.  
  
Looking up, he found his father had his belt in his hands, raising the object again to strike the boy. Kenny made the attempt to scramble away, but his father reached down, pinning him to the bed as he gave the boy another lashing. Screaming, Kenny tried to get away, catching another lash across his arm this time. When it was finally over, the only thing the little boy could do was curl into a ball, whimpering from the red marks covering his body. On his right cheek was the mark of the belt from when he moved and his father caught him across the face.  
  
"That will teach you a lesson about disobeying me. Now go to bed." The man turned away from the little boy, heading out of the room. Kenny continued to shake, tears returning as he eventually went to sleep. That was the first time that his father had ever hit him, and it wouldn't be the last.  
  
--------------{Flashback Ends}  
  
The Bladebreakers waited in the waiting area in the hospital with Max's mom, Tyson's grandfather and father, and Mr. Dickenson. The other teams had yet to find out what happened until those closer to Kenny found out first. Everyone that was in the waiting room was tense. What compelled Kenny to do something as destructive as...as overdosing on aspirin?  
  
"I don't understand it," Max said tearfully. He sat with Rei and his mother, both trying there best to comfort him. "He always seemed so happy. Why would he do something like this? Did we do something wrong?"  
  
"It's hard to say what was going on in his head," Rei said, looking down at his hands. The neko-jin looked over at Tyson and Kai, Tyson's head was lowered his bangs hiding his eyes, even Kai seemed tense.  
  
"Excuse me." A doctor walked up to the group, everyone's attention focusing on him, fearful of what he was going to say. "May I ask which of you are Mr. Shinoda's parents?"  
  
"His parents aren't here, but I'm his guardian for the time being," Mr. Dickenson said. He wondered why he didn't see it the day before, the look that carved its way into the boy's face. Maybe he could have done something before it came to this. "How is he?"  
  
The doctor frowned, opening the report in his hands, looking over it then closing it back. "From what we gathered so far, he's fighting with hyperthermia. We gave him two bags of fluid to take care of any dehydration that may occur and nausea that may arise. He's still breathing on his own, but we have him on respiratory support just in case."  
  
"Just in case?" Rei questioned.  
  
"Yes. In case Mr. Shinoda experiences any respiratory failure while he's here. You see, the salicylate level in the aspirin he manage to ingest was well over 10 grams."  
  
"What does that mean exactly?" Mr. Dickenson asked.  
  
"To put it simply, for most adults, the acute lethal dose that is required ranges from 10 to 30 grams. From what we managed to extract from his stomach and intestines was more than 13 grams. The toxins were ingested anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour. If he were left any longer in that condition, he would have surely died. But..."  
  
"But what?"  
  
"There's still a possibility that he won't be entirely the same when or if he comes around. There's a chance that he won't be able to get rid of all the toxins in his body and end up slipping into a coma. From the level of salicylate in his system, there's a good chance that will happen. And if he does come around, he's still looking at metabolic acidosis and hypoglycemia from the toxicity in his blood. Along with neurologic abnormalities such as disorientation, hallucinations, stupors, and seizures," the doctor said.  
  
"Will the symptoms go away?" Max asked, feeling himself growing sicker.  
  
"The symptoms may go away after his levels have returned to normal. But then there's a good chance that he may have long-term effects," the doctor remarked. "Let's just take it one step at a time for now."  
  
"Can we go see him?" Tyson lifted up his head, tears shining in his dark blue eyes.  
  
"You can visit for a little while, but don't stay long, he hasn't awaken yet," the doctor said. "He's in room 232 on the third floor."  
  
"Thank you." This time it was Kai that said something. Standing up, he pulled Tyson to his feet, nodding for Max and Rei to follow. The four boys walked down the hall to the elevator, silence present amongst them. What were they going to see when they got up to the room? How should they really expect to act? Their friend had just decided to try to off himself without so much as leaving a note saying why.  
  
The four boys made it up to the third floor, walking down the hall until they found room 232. Walking into the room, they found Kenny, asleep in a hospital bed. An IV was hooked into each arm, allowing a clear fluid to run through the tubes into his veins. A tube was hooked up into his mouth. The monitor every now and then bleeped, the only sign that Kenny was alive right now. The boys gathered around the bed, staring at the smaller male that slept. It was like he had never tried to kill himself in the first place.  
  
"Why?" Tyson asked. "Why would he do this?"  
  
"I guess any reason that people do," Rei said.  
  
"But he always seemed to smile no matter what."  
  
"Sometimes, people smile just because it seems the only way that they can hide themselves," Kai said, looking down at Kenny. "No matter how much pain they suffer in life, they sometimes smile just because. It's just a reflex, security, a mask that he puts on. It's just that we never noticed it."  
  
"Do you think...it's because of us that he did it?" Max asked, tears cascading down face in small rivets. Rei wrapped his arms around the blonde, murmuring comfort into his ear. Max leaned against Rei's weight, resting his head on the neko-jin's shoulder.  
  
"Who knows," Kai said. "Only Kenny knows why Kenny did this. We'll have to wait until he wakes up to tell us his side...if he wants to, that is."  
  
Downstairs with Tyson's father, grandfather, Judy, and Mr. Dickenson, the four adults stood with the doctor talking. The man looked at each one of them with a serious stare. They wondered why he would stop them from seeing the hospitalized boy with the children.  
  
"You're probably wondering why I asked you to stay for a few minutes, right?" the doctor inquired with a frown.  
  
"Yes, is there something you wanted to tell us without the children knowing?" Tyson's father inquired.  
  
"More so a question. How long have you known that young man?" the doctor asked.  
  
"Well...no more than a few months, why do you ask?" Mr. Dickenson said.  
  
"Well...when we were removing his clothing to get him admitted into the hospital, we noticed...marks," the doctor was careful of the words he used. He didn't know if they knew or not.  
  
"Marks? What kind of marks are you talking about?" Judy asked.  
  
"Well...on his back...there are faint scars that must be years old. There must be one of two that seem to be made with a blunt object of some kind. On his chest...that one is most noticeable. A scar that runs jaggedly from his left nipple down to his navel, most likely done with a knife," the doctor said. "The scar seems maybe a two or three years old."  
  
"His parents..." Judy's eyes widened, then looked at Mr. Dickenson who was equally shocked.  
  
"You had no idea?"  
  
"We haven't met his parents," Tyson's father said. "If we had known that his parents treated him like this, we would have done something about it already."  
  
"That's understandable. I suppose that young man was trying to escape again because of them," the doctor sighed.  
  
"Again?"  
  
"On his wrists, though faint, you can see where he tried to slit his wrists open. There's signs from tests taken that he's been using other types of medicine to keep his body from resting. His body's been abused not just physically, but emotionally and mentally. That young man is a massive ball of pent up emotions. I doubt that unless we find out why he tried to do this, he's not going to last much longer in this world."  
  
"I don't think the boys would be able to take it," Judy said to the other men. Each nodding with agreement, but would it really be so easy to get Kenny to open up to them? If he's gone this long with this kind of burden...what would make him tell them now? "I think for right now, we shouldn't tell the boys everything. It would really hurt them a lot."  
  
"I agree. Let's hang off until we know everything," Tyson's father said. "Right now, that young man will need all the support that he can get."  
  
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Rimnerel: Okay, I'm done now! Didn't my sissy and I do a great job! Okay, since I don't have much to say, see you guys next week sometime. I plan to have the next chapter out sooner than last time. Later. 


	5. Searching

Rimnerel: Okay, so I don't have that much time to do everything that I wanted to do. And I still have no time for myself.  
  
Tyson: You have Saturday off. Stop complaining. Anyway, aren't we supposed to be discussing the last chapter of Scars or the next chapter?  
  
Nakoruru: Tyson's right for once. We really should get to work.  
  
Rimnerel: I know. We want to thank everyone for reviewing the last chapter and for liking it so much. No let's get on to the story. Warning, a bit of angst and such in this chapter also, just to warn some of you who have a tendency to cry a lot.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
Tala set up his blade once more to practice his launching for the morning's training. The next time he was going to face Tyson of the Bladebreakers, it wasn't going to be the same. No enhancements from Boris or his scientists, no strange injections, no enhanced beyblade. It was going to be by his power alone.  
  
Aiming his blade at the tree he was using for practice, he narrowed his eyes. "Go Wolborg!" Pulling the ripcord with all his might, he watched the blade head at the tree once more. This time when it connected with the base, some of the bark splintered away as the blade dug into the bark. His Wolborg continued biting into the tree until the sounds of cracking sounded. The tree he had been working on so intently finally gave way under the assault, crashing to the ground.  
  
Opening his hand, Tala caught the blade that returned to him. Looking at his handy work with a smile, he was about to head back for the day when he was aware of the sounds of crunching snow under footfalls. Turning around, the red head found his teammates running towards him. Slipping his usual face back on, he gave them a cool stare. He didn't know why, but around them, he didn't feel so comfortable letting down his guard, as if they were always watching for the slightest indication he wasn't whom they thought they knew.  
  
The three boys slowed down when they reached Tala. The red head shoved his blade into his pocket. "What is it?"  
  
"Nothing much. We were just curious to know if you knew?" Ian said.  
  
"Knew? Know what?" the red haired captain of the Demolition Boys asked staring at the young boy. Turning his attention from Ian, he gave Bryan and Spencer a curious glance. "Has something happened?"  
  
"You haven't heard yet?" Bryan stated, the rare emotion of shock coming into his eyes.  
  
"Why do you think I just asked?" Tala responded.  
  
"Seriously, you haven't heard?" Spencer said.  
  
"Look, if I already knew whatever it was you're talking about, I would have said yes by now." Tala's tone iced over with annoyance.  
  
"Since you haven't heard, we'll tell you," Ian remarked.  
  
"Please do before I die of curiosity," Tala said sarcastically.  
  
"Well, we just heard that two days ago, one of the members on the Bladebreakers team tried to commit suicide. We don't all the details, but everyone in the B.B.A. in Japan's district is worried. They're keeping things low for now, so we don't know all the details. The only reason that we heard was because Boris was talking to Lord Voltaire, since Kai is team captain of the team," Bryan stated.  
  
"I see. Well, that's not our concern," Tala shrugged indifferently, or at least it seemed to his team. Inside, he was actually full of concern. It had to be the one he met that night after World Championships were over, Kenny. So...he couldn't change anything and resorted back to his old methods. "We have better things to do." Tala turned away from his team.  
  
"Where are you going?" Spencer questioned.  
  
"Out. I'm going somewhere else to train for the day." And with that, the male was off, but rather than train, he had other things on his mind. One being a certain brunette his words didn't seem to reach.  
  
--------------------  
  
{Flashback}  
  
Kenny walked into his living room from walking home from school, looking around to find the floor was still littered with beer cans. The ashtray was still filled with cigarette butts. A box was still on the end of the living room table where it was left two days ago. His father was sleep on the couch, the remote in his hand, and the male was snoring loudly.  
  
Kenny quietly made his way through the mess on the floor, doing his best not to alert his father of his presence in the house. Yet fate would have it no other way. His foot hits an empty can, causing it to clatter. That was enough to wake up the sleeping man on the couch. His red eyes glared around, until they targeted in on Kenny, who froze in mid step.  
  
"What do you think you're doing boy?" his father said with sleep slurred words. "Where have you been?"  
  
"Today was the first day of second grade," Kenny said quietly. "I left before you got up. I didn't want to wake you up."  
  
"School? Are you lying to me boy?" his father held that dangerous tone he knew by now.  
  
"No sir, honestly I went to school," Kenny said.  
  
"How can I be sure that you didn't sneak off somewhere?" Kenny's father got up from his seat on the couch, walking over to the boy. Kenny backed up until his movement, was stopped by the wall, his frame shook with terror. His father's shadow loomed over him, descending over the little boy in an intimidating manner.  
  
"I'm telling the truth. I went to school, you can check with the school. Why would I sneak off some—"Kenny didn't expect the hard slap that came, which tilted him off balance. Steadying himself, he stared up at his father, blinking back the tears ready to fall.  
  
"Watch your tone boy," his father threatened.  
  
"Forgive me sir," he said softly. "It's true though. I went to school today."  
  
"You better not be lying to me boy," his father said, turning to go sit back on the couch. Kenny got up from the ground, wiping away the tear that rolled down his cheek. He would have to get the swelling down before he went to school the next day. If anyone found out that his father hit him, who knew what the man would do to him next. Walking into the kitchen, Kenny slipped off his school bag, placing it on the kitchen table.  
  
Pushing a chair over to the fridge, Kenny climbed up on it, opening the freezer and pulling out a tray of ice. Closing it back, the little boy went over to the sink, pulling out a towel and dumping the tray of ice in it. Wrapping it up, Kenny placed it to his stinging cheek, sitting at the table for a long time until his face became numb. If only he could become like that. If only he didn't feel pain when his father hit him, if only tears didn't come up, he could take it.  
  
He hated the throbbing in his chest that grew heavier each year that passed. His only escape from this was in books. Since he forced himself to learn things to forget the loneliness and pain, he found a burning desire to learn greater things. Everyone commented on how smart he was for his age, yet he didn't feel smart. Not when his father continued to shout he was a worthless idiot all the time. How smart was he if his father pointed out all his flaws, all his mistakes, and shortcomings.  
  
"Boy, what do you think you're doing?" The voice made Kenny jump in his chair, turning around to see his father standing in the doorway of the kitchen. His father's dark brown eyes watching every move he made.  
  
"It was going to swell...I didn't want to go to school like that," Kenny responded.  
  
A short smile rose to his father's face, as he sauntered into the kitchen. "You think you're so smart, don't you boy?"  
  
"No...I don't." Though simple enough, the remark cost him another slap, knocking him out of the chair. The ice went clattering across the floor. Kenny had little time to move when he felt something come across side. A loud gasp of pain escaped the little boy's lips as he looked up in time to see that the weapon of choice today was a cord. Where the man got it from was the least of concerns on Kenny's mind as he tried to scramble away.  
  
"So you want to smart mouth your father now?"  
  
"No!" Kenny scrambled under the table, as his father tried to catch hold of his foot. Successfully avoiding being caught, Kenny shot out of the room, almost stumbling in the attempt. His father was not too far behind him.  
  
"Come back here boy!" the male growled.  
  
Kenny didn't listen to his father, making his way for the only safe place he knew, the closet his father use to lock him in when he was five. Making it inside, Kenny made it inside, shutting the door and holding it. His entire body shook as he braced himself for the struggle to get the door open. The door rattled, being yanked every now and then as the two fought with the door. After a while the noises stopped and Kenny heard a soft click. Silence was established for a long moment before his father spoke up.  
  
"You want to stay in there, fine with me. I don't feel like dealing with you, you little stupid bastard." Kenny sank down to the ground, breathing heavily as the pain in his chest returned full force. Curling into a ball, he waited for the pain to settle down, trying to still the tears that ran down his face. It was more than half a week before his father remembered to let him out to closet, but by then, the pain in his chest had gone away.  
  
{Flashback ends}  
  
---------------  
  
Tyson sat by Kenny's bed, listening to the beeping of the machine that monitor, his friend's heart rate. Besides the occasion whimper from the brunette, the monitor was the only thing that reminded him that the male was still alive. He was fearful that while sitting there, all of a sudden, he would only hear the long continuous beep that would signal Kenny's death. The last thing he needed was to go back and tell the brunette's parents he left their son die.  
  
"Kenny, you gotta pull through this. Wake up, tell me your side of things," Tyson whispered.  
  
"Tyson..." Max's voice reached the blue haired male, who turned to stare at his teammate. The usually bright and energetic Draciel wielder looked as bad as Tyson and the others. Max's eyes were red from repeatedly crying, dark rings started to form under his eyes from lack of sleep, worrying over Kenny. Even Kai, who usually didn't let anything get to him, was having a hard time.  
  
"Max, what is it?" Tyson asked.  
  
"Rei and I...we were looking through Kenny's stuff..."  
  
"And?" Tyson was hopeful that this had the answer to why Kenny would do something like this.  
  
"We found this." Max walked up to Tyson, holding up a bound black book. "Kenny was writing things in this, lots of poems. There's one...I think you should hear it."  
  
Max flipped through the book until he found the one that he and Rei stopped on. Tyson held his breath so he could hear every word that was written. Max, for a moment seemed like he was going to break down into tears. But sucked it in, knowing that Tyson wanted to hear what was there. Opening his mouth, the blond read what was on the paper, what Kenny entitled 'Chances of Darkness.'  
  
"Chances of darkness spread, seeping from wounds that continue to flood with dead blood. Aching heart never heals so I wait for the chances. The darkness crawling across my body, a lover I know well. Close my eyes, eternity of falling into a sea. Sweeping forth through these wounds. Touching, searing, mocking that life extinguished long ago. The sound of cherub angels far, a pin that's echoing from being dropped. Reaching out grasping nothing but water and blood, I choose neither. Now never clean, wings at my feet, I see not so again I wait. In a sandbox filling with time."  
  
"What do you think it means?" Tyson asked Max after a long minute of silence, turning his eyes back to the still unconscious male. When was he going to wake up? When was he going to tell them why he tried to do it?  
  
"I don't know. This book...it's really old. Like he's been doing stuff like this over the years. Do you think it has something to do with his childhood? Like maybe his parents hurt him so much he just couldn't take it anymore?"  
  
"But...I met his mom once. She was really nice. I know she worried about Kenny a lot, and was really happy that he made friends. I don't think she could have done anything to hurt Kenny, when you look into her eyes, you could see how much she cared about him," Tyson said in defense.  
  
"Maybe his father hurt him in secret," Max suggested.  
  
"It seems so hard to believe someone you care about so much...that you trust that much could cause you so much pain. It's like with Kai. He's taking this harder than the rest of us because he couldn't see it," Tyson admitted.  
  
"What?"  
  
Tyson stared down at his hands, tears welling up in his eyes. "Last night, Kai...broke down and cried in my arms. He told me how his grandfather treated him when he was younger. That he knows the pain Kenny must have been going through for so long, yet he didn't see the signs. It's hurt him deeply, Max. I couldn't say a word, all I could do was hold him as he cried."  
  
"Tyson." Max watched his friend's dark stormy eyes turn almost black.  
  
"Why didn't he tell us? Why didn't he give us a sign? He was always smiling, always joking while this ate away at him! It's not fair to us to be left in the dark like this!" Tyson cried, tears running down his face. "Doesn't he know how much we care about him? He's our friend, but he just made it seem we were just...just...strangers. I hate this feeling in my heart. I hate it so much!"  
  
"I..." Usually Max had a positive response ready, but even he felt at the end of his rope wracking his brain. He was tired, he couldn't sleep, he hardly ate, he was always crying. He just wanted answers to why now. "I...don't...know..."  
  
Downstairs in Judy, Tyson's dad and grandfather sat with Mr. Dickenson in a small conference area they borrowed from the staff. The four adults were looking grim, silence eating away at them. Judy was the one that started the conversation. Her blue eyes were tinged with red from the tears she shed trying to comfort her son.  
  
"I talked to the doctor today. He said Kenny may have slipped into a light coma, but can wake up at any time. He's showing better signs than anyone expected," she said quietly.  
  
"But that doesn't take away from the fact we still don't know why he decided to overdose that like," Tyson's father stated. "Mr. Dickenson, how are the boys doing?"  
  
The elder head of Japan's B.B.A sighed, shaking his head. When I went to check on them this morning...it's gotten worst. I thought Kai would hold them together during this time, but he's in the same distress as his team. His eyes looked so painful to me I couldn't ask him how the others were doing."  
  
"What are we going to do?" Tyson's grandfather inquired. "Even little dude is out of it. He doesn't leave Kenny's side for much."  
  
"We'll have to dig at his past if we hope to uncover anything," Judy finally said. "Do you think we should contact his parents?"  
  
"Not yet. We don't know if they're the cause or not," Tyson's father said. "They may deny ever knowing this happened to him. But where should we start?"  
  
"We should check police reports from the pass five years to see if there was a report of child abuse concerning any children being brutally stabbed that fit Kenny's description," Mr. Dickenson suggested.  
  
"What's his last name in case we find out something?"  
  
"It's Shinoda. Someone should stay here in Russia with the boys while the rest of us go back to Japan to see what we can dig up," Judy voiced.  
  
"I'll stay with them," Tyson's grandfather volunteered.  
  
"Okay, then. Make sure you get in contact with us if he wakes up," Mr. Dickenson said.  
  
"Right."  
  
---------------  
  
{Flashback}  
  
Kenny's eyes opened, hearing the lock being disengaged. Quickly huddling in the corner of the closet. The light that flooded in temporarily blinded the little boy as he stared up at the man giving him a disgusted look. The man was drunk again he knew it.  
  
"Get up boy," the male growled.  
  
"Please don't," the little boy whispered.  
  
"I said get up!" Without waiting for him to move, Kenny's father yanked him from out of the closet. Tossing him against a wall. Kenny yelped, trying to get his grounds, but a foot came square into his chest, knocking all the air out of his body. Weak from no food and water for six days, the boy dropped like a bag of flour. "I said get up!"  
  
"I can't," Kenny whimpered.  
  
"Get the fuck up you little piece of shit. You nearly got me in trouble. Your damn school called asking about you. I had to lie and tell them you were sick. Why do you have to be so worthless?" Another foot came in contact with Kenny's chest, the little boy crying out from the blow.  
  
"I'm sorry!" Tears trickled down his face.  
  
"Sorry doesn't help now, does it? Get up, or I swear to God that I'm going to really give you something to cry about boy," his father growled.  
  
"I'm sorry!" the little boy curled into a ball, trying to protect himself from the assault but nothing worked to make the blows any less painful.  
  
"I know you're sorry," his father said, picking up a piece of extension cord that was nearby. The first lash brought out a silent cry from the boy. The second one brought a strangled whimper of pain, the third a sob that racked his entire body. The fourth one just numbed everything the other three blows previously struck.  
  
One after another, the blows rained down, until he found comfort in unconsciousness. In the thought that maybe he would sink so deep he didn't have to feel the pain anymore. That was probably the first time he thought about death, about his life ending because he had no future ahead. He had a feeling things would always be like that.  
  
{Flashback ends}  
  
--------------------------------------  
  
Rimnerel: Okay, I think I'm going to quit for this chapter. I'm about to cry myself. Especially adding in my poem for Kenny's notebook.  
  
Nakoruru: Well, if you think about it, Good Charlotte's "Hold On" is playing repeatedly in the background while we write. So what do you expect?  
  
Rimnerel: True. Well...I guess we should get going now. We finally accomplished our angst level for this chapter. Tell us how you like it, and we will update this week. 


	6. Awakening

Nakoruru: Hello everyone!  
  
Kai: Where's your sister?  
  
Nakoruru: Sick. She hasn't felt up to anything since Sunday morning.  
  
Kenny: I hope she gets better.  
  
Nakoruru: Well, she will be fine. She be up and moving maybe tomorrow or so. So, on her behalf, I write the chapter that we managed to get down on paper before she got that nasty stomach virus or whatever it is. We would like to thank everyone for enjoying the last chapter. Enjoy this one too.  
  
--------------------------------------------  
  
Tyson woke with a start, not sure when he in fact dozed off from watching Kenny from any signs of waking. Turning his eyes to the window, the sky was turning a purple and golden color, signaling night approaching soon. As he was about to turn his eyes to Kenny, Tyson realized that he wasn't alone in the room. Someone was standing by Kenny's bed, watching the brunette. For a second he thought it was maybe Kai or Rei, until he noticed the red hair.  
  
Blinking his tired eyes a few times, he realized that the person that was standing by Kenny's bed was none other than the Demolition Boys team captain Tala. Quietly observing the team captain of his rival team, Tyson was shocked to see the sympathy within Tala's azure eyes. Did he come to pay his respects to the team? How did he find out...maybe it had something to do with the fact Kai was the team captain of the Bladebreakers and his grandfather ran the Russian beyblade group.  
  
"Tala...what are you doing here?" Tyson finally spoke up, making his presence known. The red head turned his eyes on Tyson, studying the young blue haired teen for a long second.  
  
"I didn't mean to wake you up," Tala remarked.  
  
"You didn't." It was sort of strange speaking to Tala like this. After all, with the whole Biovolt thing passing and all...it was kind of odd speaking to your rival as if the fate of the world was not battled for days before. Tyson turned his eyes on Kenny; the ever constant beeping of the monitor the only reminder the brunette was still alive. "How did you hear?"  
  
Tala turned his eyes on Kenny, listening for a long minute, at the sound of the beeping. "My team said they overheard Boris talking with Kai's grandfather over the subject. So I came to pay my respects to him and your team. Do you have any idea why he would do this?"  
  
"No...we tried finding out what we could but it just led us down another one way street into a dead end." Tyson's voice cracked, threatening to break with another bout of tears. Tala made no move to look at Tyson, continuing to stare at Kenny, whose chest rose momentarily with a shallow breath before lowering.  
  
"So, he didn't tell you anything about the pain that ate at him. You know, the night after your team won the Championship, I was out walking in the park I saw him. He was sitting on a bench, his head tilted back, staring up at the sky thinking. There was a knife in his hand. He was plotting to slit his wrists that night, bleeding to death out in the cold before you were all able to find him."  
  
"He..."  
  
"I stopped him before he could do it. He told me that I didn't understand what he went through and what he survived through. Whatever he went through has closed his heart to the world. I don't think he's ever told anyone how he's felt or the pain that pounded at his chest so hard to be let out that...he wanted to give up everything. I told him that he no one can help him if all he did was smile. That you and the other Bladebreakers would notice if he gave just the tiniest indication of suffering, I think he doubted it."  
  
"But..." Tyson's eyes widened. "How could he...?"  
  
"Like I said, whatever it was that he thought...he felt it was too late for you to make a difference," Tala remarked. "He's going to need you all though. When he wakes up, he's going to withdraw from the world. I've seen it happen. You have to let him know that you're going to be there for him."  
  
"I don't know how well the others will handle the pressure. We're at the end of our ropes, if he does wake up soon...what are we suppose to do about finding out why he tried to kill himself?"  
  
Tala glanced over at the Dragoon wielder, seeing the distraught concern within those dark eyes. "You'll have to figure out that by yourself."  
  
-----------------  
  
(Flashback)  
  
Kenny looked up from studying the problem in the trigonometry book his teacher let him borrow to challenge himself with more advanced work. All the teacher's told him how smart he was, and how fast he picked up work, that if he kept this up, he could go to college before the rest of his peers. Kenny found it amusing, by what the teachers said. He was no smarter than any other kid he just had to find things to occupy his mind from the pain of living.  
  
Realizing that he still felt uncomfortable, Kenny went to find the cause of it. From where he sat in the living room, he turned his head to find his father glaring at him from the kitchen doorway. The boy of ten felt uneasy under the scrutinizing stare of his father. He had no way of knowing if the man would fly off the handle, especially with his eyes never straying from him. Kenny carefully put down the book, shifting his full attention to his father.  
  
"Papa," Kenny's voice was hesitant, careful in what he said. Anything made his father go off. "Is there something wrong?"  
  
"Come here, Kenny," his father said in an even tone. As Kenny was getting up, he noticed the extension cord in his father's clenched hand. The boy's eyes widened, knowing what was going to happen.  
  
"Papa..." Kenny begged.  
  
"Come here boy," his father ordered, taking a menacing step into the room.  
  
"Papa, please," Kenny cried as his father lunged at him, pulling the ten- year-old up from off the couch. "Please don't hit me! I'm sorry for whatever it is I did this time! I'm sorry, please papa don't!"  
  
"Shut up and be a man about it!" his father shouted, raising the cord in the air.  
  
"Please, tell me what have I done?" Kenny pleaded, his eyes filling with tears.  
  
"What you did? What you did?" his father roared. "It's your fault for me losing my job. If I didn't have to take care of you, I wouldn't need that piece of shit of a job. I have to keep you fed, remember, or that damn school will come down and bust my ass. If I didn't have you, I could do whatever I wanted without anyone's concern."  
  
"You can always get another job. A better one, I'll help you!" Kenny tried to reason with his father. "I'm sure there are—"  
  
He didn't get to finish his sentence as the extension cord came whistling down, striking his back. Kenny cried out, trying to pull free from his father as another lash struck him across the legs. "Shut up, dammit! You worthless bastard!"  
  
The extension cord caught Kenny across the mouth, shutting him up as he held his face. Another lash sliced into his legs, turning the skin bright red. For a long minute, the blows rained down steadily on him. Until his father finally released the boy, Kenny falling to the ground painfully. Whelp marks covered the exposed areas of his body, as he curled up on the floor crying quietly gingerly holding himself. His father walked out the room and back into the kitchen.  
  
"You can forget about dinner tonight boy, go to your room," his father called from the kitchen."  
  
Kenny made the attempt to move, but he just didn't have the determination. After a feeble attempt to rise, Kenny gave up all together. His sobs didn't cease as he huddled there. Seconds later, heavy footsteps came back in the room. He could feel his father's scorching eyes.  
  
"Boy, didn't I tell you to go to your room," his father demanded. "Don't make me have to tell you again."  
  
"I can't papa. I can't," Kenny whimpered.  
  
"You can, you're just being lazy. Get up boy, or I promise I will give you another lashing you'll wish you had obeyed me." The man took off his belt, wrapping most of it around his knuckles, leaving only an inch of leather and the buckle.  
  
"I can't papa."  
  
Kenny heard his father growl, the first blow brought out a choked scream from the boy who tried to crawl away from the male, only to be pulled back and beat with the buckle. Protecting his face from the buckle's bite, all the little boy could do was lay there, his body numbing with pain.  
  
Eventually his father was out of breath from wielding the belt. Looking down, he watched his son stare up at him, tears rolling down his face. "Get up, Kenny. I'm not going to play with you anymore."  
  
"I'm sorry papa," Kenny whispered. Ignoring the screaming pain in his body, Kenny pushed himself up. Stumbling from the ache that circulated through him relentlessly. His father, satisfied with his son's obedience left the room to continue to do whatever it was he first went about doing in the kitchen. The ten year old only made it to the stairs before his body moaned too much and Kenny collapsed on the stairs, sobbing hysterically.  
  
The noise brought his father into the hall. "Kenny, I thought I told you to go to your room." That dangerous note within his father's voice registered in Kenny's mind to look at his father. Lifting his head from the step, he glanced at his father, only to pale with fright. In his father's hand was a butcher knife.  
  
"I was going!" Kenny shrieked as he tried to crawl up the stairs. "Please...I'm sorry papa!" Kenny already knew his father would use the knife. After all, he had so many tiny scars on his back and shoulders made by objects his father got his hands on, for times he exceeded being disobedient. Well that was the excuse his father used in explaining to Kenny why another scar would form.  
  
"How many times will I have to tell you Kenny? I'm the one who raised you when your damn mother left. I let you live this long, I could have let you die a long time ago. But I decided to love you, yet you always disobey me, why? Why are you always disobeying your father?" The male walked towards Kenny, pulling him to the ground and pinning him there.  
  
"Please papa don't," Kenny choked with terror. His father climbed on top of him, glaring down at the boy with murderous eyes.  
  
"You don't listen to me. You constantly disobey me, why? Why Kenny? You're mine! You will always be mine! Until I decide when to let you go." The man poised the knife over Kenny's chest, his eyes locked with Kenny's.  
  
"I promise to be good! I promise, papa!" Kenny begged. "I'll do everything you want. Just please don't hurt me anymore."  
  
"You always say that, but it's lies. You always do the same thing over and over again. I guess I will have to teach you a lesson once and for all that I'm the only one that will ever take you in and discipline you right," his father whispered with a sadistic grin.  
  
Without saying a word, he plunged the knife right under the boy's left nipple. Kenny screamed for his life, struggling wildly as his father dragged the knife down to his navel. Blindly, full of pain, Kenny pushed at his father. The man pulled the bloody knife from the boy, watching the crimson liquid bubble up from the jagged wound. Kenny nearly went into shock immediately as he tried to talk, only to have blood bubble up from his mouth, slipping down his chin.  
  
"Now, you will remember forever, won't you, my son," his father whispered into his ear as he kissed his son on the cheek before getting up from the body. Kenny had to get his bearings as he moved. His breaths became ragged and short, watching his father go in the living room, cutting the TV on, and turning up the volume so he wouldn't hear the noise of his son's cries.  
  
Slowly crawling towards the phone, his body weakened with the blood pooling under him. Reaching the table the phone was on, he tugged at the cord, pulling it off the table, onto the floor with a soft thud, he looked towards the hallway door, to make sure that his father didn't come out. Seconds ticked away, realizing his father wasn't paying him any more attention. Gripping the phone in his bloody hands, Kenny had to focus hard on the numbers, his vision becoming blurry.  
  
Each breath he took was a gurgled wheeze, aching incessantly more each time. Steadying his hand, he dialed the only number he could think of at the moment: his mother's sister, Dawn Shinoda. Even though she lived in the next town over, he needed to let her know. Maybe she could stop his father from doing this to anyone else. It was too late for him now. He was already slipping into darkness, a welcomed relief from the life that no one knew.  
  
Placing the bloody phone to his ear, he waited, listening to the rings. The more seconds that passed was harder for him to concentrate on breathing, the world growing darker. Finally, when he figured that no one was home, the ringing stopped, replaced by a chipper voice.  
  
"Hello, Shinoda residence."  
  
"Aunt...Dawn," Kenny choked, the blood rattling his wheezing.  
  
"Kenny! Kenny is this you?" his aunt's voice changed. "Kenny, what's the matter? Where's your father?"  
  
"Call...the...the...police."  
  
"Why? Kenny, what's going on?"  
  
"Stabbed...call...please...police..." Kenny said, another painful aching squeezing out of him. "Dying...please..."  
  
"What? Who stabbed you? Hold on! I'm going to get help!" Her voice grew faint as the phone slipped from his bloody hands. His eyes grew too heavy to stay awake, his breathing slowing down until it felt like his lungs were walling up. He wasn't afraid of the darkness he eagerly welcomed it as he slipped into it.  
  
(Flashback ends)  
  
-----------------------  
  
"Momma..."  
  
Both Tyson and Tala were surprised when the brunette in the bed spoke. Both peered at the male who was shifting in his sleep. The peaceful nature of his sleep broke as Kenny's face contorted with panic. He reached out for something, the panic in his face becoming desperate.  
  
"Momma, please don't leave me again, wait for me. Please momma, don't leave me. Don't leave me, please!" Tears welled from his closed eyes, running down his face. "Momma, please don't leave me, wait! Momma!" When it was clear that he couldn't get to her, his hand dropped, a sob quaking his body.  
  
"Kenny," Tyson said, his eyes searching for a sign his friend was awake. "What do you mean Kenny? Wake up, please tell me what you mean."  
  
"She died," Tala said.  
  
"What?" Tyson stared over at the red head whose eyes became glassy as he stared down at Kenny. "What do you mean she died? That's impossible, I met her and his father."  
  
"Those might be his adopted parents. His real mother died when he was younger."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"My mother died when I was three. I remember waking up like that too. Always out of my reached, I'm always running to her, asking her to wait for me. She always smiling, but continuing on without me. Knowing I can't reach her, hurting unbearably by it. That's one of his many pains," the red head muttered. "It's painful, not ever being able to get to her, needing her so much."  
  
"Do you think that's why he tried to...?"  
  
"There's more than just that, more that haunts him," Tala stated.  
  
"I...I...I should tell the others," Tyson said. "It's a start at least. Maybe we can rack our brains together and put together the pieces so when he does wake up...we can give him all our support. Could you...?"  
  
"Sure," Tala nodded.  
  
"Thanks a lot...Tala..." Tyson turned and left the room. Once the blue haired boy was gone, Tala turned his attention to the brunette who was whimpering now. Moving a hand, he pushed away the hair that was in Kenny's eyes. Not the least bit surprise blue eyes shifted to him.  
  
"I had a feeling you woke up. You know, they've been worried sick about you," Tala said, moving his hand away.  
  
"Why?" Kenny mumbled, his voice cracking from dryness. Tala reached over by the bed, pouring water into a glass and helping Kenny sit up. Placing the glass to his lips, he watched the brunette empty the contents greedily. Once done, he placed the cup down, taking a seat in the chair Tyson previously occupied for the past few days.  
  
"You should know by now. They care about you," Tala spoke.  
  
"No...why am I still alive? Why did they bother, I'm only going to do it again." He lowered his head, tearing running the course down his face. Tala lowered his lashed over his eyes reclining back in the chair.  
  
"So much pain, so many scars on your heart and soul? So much so that you could never tell them the truth, Nagase-kun?" Tala inquired.  
  
"What?" Kenny lifted his head immediately with fear.  
  
------------------------------------------  
  
Nakoruru: And we shall end it there.  
  
Rei: Evil cliffhangers! That's wrong of you and Rim!  
  
Sephiroth: Evil would have been if he had a seizure with Tala mentioning that name, and we ended the chapter. (thinks) Sounds fun.  
  
Nakoruru: Um...okay...yeah. Well, now I have to go, because there's nothing more for you guys to read currently. Give my sister and I maybe three or four days and we'll see what we can give you, so until then. Later! 


	7. Questions

Rimnerel: Okay, there's just one thing I have to say about this chapter, and that Tala is really pissing me off with how shifty he is in this one.  
  
Tala (brow raised): You're the one that's writing it.  
  
Rimnerel: Yeah, but it's your damn fault for the direction that this thing takes every now and then, you bastard.  
  
Kai: Okay you two that's enough of that. If anything, we should just blame the creative flow that was taken.  
  
Rimnerel: Shut up, Kai and do the reviews.  
  
Kai: Fine. Rim would like to thank Dark-Mage-Quisits, Werewolf of Fire, FREAK014, russle, and B. Tiamat Atardecer for all their reviews.  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You should know by now. They care about you," Tala spoke.  
  
"No...why am I still alive? Why did they bother, I'm only going to do it again." Kenny lowered his head, tears running the course down his face. Tala lowered his lashes over his eyes, reclining back in the chair.  
  
"So much pain. Are there that many scars on your heart and soul? So much so that you could never tell them the truth, Nagase-kun?" Tala inquired.  
  
"What?" Kenny lifted his head immediately with fear. "What did you just say to me?" Kenny's eyes were filled with panic.  
  
"You know what I just said," Tala replied.  
  
"Where did you hear that name from?" Kenny demanded.  
  
"Why do you want to know? That is your last name is it not?" Tala looked at the young man that shifted his eyes away from him.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," Kenny stated.  
  
"You don't have to put on an act. I know about the reports from three years ago. I was twelve at the time I heard them. Did you know that it made news worldwide? I had to do a little digging to find pictures, that's one of the only great things about the internet, you can find just about anything on there. I found pictures. Of you, of your father, of what he did to you."  
  
"You..." Kenny wrapped his arms around his body, shivering with shame and pain.  
  
"I know about the scar. I know about the abuse, but I don't know the whole story," Tala said.  
  
"Why...if you knew the truth...why didn't you just tell Tyson?" Kenny asked, tears tumbling down his face. Tala got up from where he sat, to sit on the bed next to Kenny. Tala pulled Kenny's arms from around him, holding them out to see the faint lines running the course of both wrists. Staring down at them, he leaned in, kissing both areas as if they still hurt him.  
  
"It's not my place to tell Tyson, or anyone else on your team your past. It's your decision what you want to do. I would never want to expose you to that sort of pain again," Tala said, letting go of Kenny's arms.  
  
The younger blushed ferociously, turning his head away. His heart pounded in his chest, and not from Tala knowing the truth. It was because of those kisses the male placed to his wrists. Kenny heard Tala chuckle at his reaction, but he did not look at the red head. Nor did Kenny turn his eyes towards the other.  
  
"You aren't going to say anything like I'm an idiot or you hate me?" Tala questioned. When Kenny didn't say a word, Tala raised his hand once more, bringing it to rest under Kenny's chin. Turning his face back into sight. Kenny felt his face burst into flames.  
  
"What...what are you...doing?" Kenny exclaimed.  
  
"I want to ask you something, Kenny. Do you really think that anything would have been better if they had let you die? The pain would have still been there, maybe not for you, but for them, the pain would have remained until it ate them clear to the bone. Would you really let that happen to them?" Tala asked, searching Kenny's blue eyes.  
  
"Don't you understand how much I hurt? You know the truth, yet..."  
  
"I don't know the whole truth. You would have left your tale only half told. For anyone to understand you, you have to let someone in. Maybe not now, but some time in the future, eventually you will find someone you want to tell everything," Tala voiced.  
  
"Why do you even care anyway?" Kenny demanded.  
  
There was a flicker of amusement in Tala's eyes as he leaned forward, catching Kenny's lips with his own. Involuntarily, Kenny's mouth parted open, allowing Tala complete access to his mouth. The brunette froze up, not knowing exactly what to think or how to react in this situation. This was his first kiss it was understandable to sort of freeze. But in this case, this was his first kiss being stolen by the team captain of the Russian beyblade captain while Kenny was just waking up from a light coma only to discover that someone knew his past already. How the hell was he supposed to react in this situation?  
  
Finding his hand raised, it came across Tala's cheek, startling the red head enough to pull back. For a long minute, both looked at each other before Tala laughed. "I guess I did deserve it taking advantage of you like that. But..."  
  
"But..." Kenny urged, wanting a good reason why he shouldn't slap the red head once more.  
  
"You've captivated me so much that I couldn't help it. You're like an angel whose wings have been torn directly from his back by malevolent demons. You're vulnerable, angry, and trying to find help yet not trusting anyone because you may be hurt again. That's how you appear to me, and I want to help you heal your wings to fly back to heaven," Tala admitted with a light blush. "You really bring out the sappiness in me, you know that."  
  
"You...like me...?" Kenny had to blink on that one. At the short, crooked smile curved in the corners of Tala's mouth, the light tint of rose on Tala's cheeks staring at Kenny with a hint of embarrassment. "Why?" It made Kenny halfway curious, but then...happy?  
  
"I suppose it's because your eyes beckon to me. Maybe it's because I see a piece of you in me. I lost my mother when I was young also. My father didn't want to stick around to be a father, so he dumped me in the abbey and took off. I've practically been alone since," Tala said.  
  
"But...you have the..."  
  
"All they see are my masks." Tala lowered his lashes, but Kenny could see the loneliness deep in his eyes. "I once tried to open up to them, but they just stared at me, shrugging that everyone has a hard life and to stop whining about it. So, I never really opened up to them after that. They may be my team, but there's no real closeness between any of us. We're practically strangers."  
  
"We're not the same," Kenny responded.  
  
"Well...in ways we're the same. Not the level of experiences, but our view of the world. Your friends are worried about you, and will help you. Just open up to them."  
  
"You're a optimist. That's the last thing I really expected from you. I guess you really do wear masks," Kenny said.  
  
"And I suppose that you tear them down without ever knowing it."  
  
For a long second, Kenny stared at the red head. "I think I liked you better when you were quiet. I never expected you to be talkative either. It's creepy, you know?"  
  
"Creepy? I finally have someone I can talk to on a level, and they think I'm creepy. That would be insulting if you were anyone else." Kenny was quiet, his head feeling light and his vision going slightly out of focused, which Tala noticed. "You're probably still fighting off the effects of the chemicals in your system, you should rest."  
  
"I'm not sleepy," protested Kenny, as Tala laid him back on the pillows, as if he was a child being put down for a nap. "And I'm not a kid, so stop handling me like I'm made of glass.  
  
"You are made of glass. Shattered pieces that try to cut the hands that handle it with care in order to put it back together," Tala smirked.  
  
"Idiot, and you wonder why I hate you," Kenny glared, feeling his eyes close as he drifted back to sleep. "It's...stupid remarks like...that..."  
  
Tala moved away from the male finding him asleep once more. Leaning down towards the brunette's ear, Tala whispered into it. "If he never said it, I want you to know it now. You aren't worthless, or stupid. And you're the most beautiful person I've ever had the luck to meet. He had no right to do what he did. I just want you to know that. Sleep well, my glass spun angel, I know your wounds can heal."  
  
---------------  
  
Judy pushed back a lock of hair that slipped from behind her ear as she looked over old records in the back of a library. Mr. Dickenson was doing the same thing, as well as Tyson's father. All three of them had arrived in Japan not too long ago, and immediately set to work combing over newspaper clips, articles, and reports from the last five years. So far, they found nothing that would signify if Kenny's attempted suicide linking to any crimes from five years ago.  
  
"This is getting us no where!" Judy said, pushing the paper from in front of her. The other two men stared at her, as she combed a hand through her hair wearily. They were all tired, but they could not rest until they found out something. Tyson, Max, Rei, and Kai were counting on them to find something.  
  
"Judy..." Mr. Dickenson sympathized, realizing she was almost at her limit too.  
  
"What exactly are we searching for again?" she inquired. "There's plenty reports on child abuse, but none that come close to what we are looking for. What if this never made it to the papers? Our search would be in vain."  
  
"Don't say that," Bruce said.  
  
"But we can't rule it out, can we?" she said. "I mean...it would have been horrible for him to have to go through the pain of telling everyone what his parents did to him. I wouldn't be able to take it, I know that."  
  
"It's hard to imagine what could be going through a person's head to hurt someone who's supposed to be precious to you, in that manner."  
  
"I know what you mean. Tyson may be a hot head, stubborn kid, but he means the world to me. I could never lay a hand on him, I could never cause him to cry that much," Bruce sighed.  
  
"I know. Max is my world, all work aside, I would never..."  
  
"Bruce, Judy, I think I found something," Mr. Dickenson interrupted, getting up from where he sat to show them the paper dating back to three years ago. Both huddled around the paper as Mr. Dickenson read off what it said. "On the afternoon of April 23, police were called to the residence of Mr. Johji Nagase, age 43, on reports of screams coming from inside the house. When police arrived, they found Mr. Nagase's ten-year-old son slumped over in a pool of blood by a phone. The boy was admitted to Kirinai Hospital where he was treated for knife wounds."  
  
"Is the boy's name listed?" Judy inquired.  
  
"No, someone must have filed that his name wasn't released to the papers."  
  
"Do you really think this is what we're looking for? This kid has a different last name than Kenny," Bruce pointed out.  
  
"Listen to the rest of the report. When questioned the boy's aunt and uncle, Dawn and Hojo Shinoda, they had no idea that Mr. Nagase was repeatedly abusing the boy. Doctors determined that the abuse occurred for many years after the death of Mr. Nagase's wife, Carolyn Nagase who was of age 32 at the time of her death. The boy's relatives have agreed to adopt him in hopes of making up for the treatment he has received for years." Mr. Dickenson looked up at the two who realized this was it.  
  
"What about his father?"  
  
"Mr. Nagase was arrested on charges of assault, child abuse, child neglect, and attempted murder in the first and second degree and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole," Mr. Dickenson read.  
  
"Does it say why he did it?" Judy wanted to know why someone would treat a child in such a fashion. Mr. Dickenson stared at her with sorrow, before shaking his head. "That's awful. How could...?"  
  
"I know. I suppose that we can rule out the people he's living with now, which are probably his aunt and uncle. I think we should talk with them next about Kenny. Let them know what's happened and see what they know, so we can have an understanding of how to help Kenny when he wakes up," Bruce suggested.  
  
"I agree with you completely on that. They have a right to know what's happened, we can't just stay quiet about this. Not when they had nothing to do with putting him in the mental state...whatever it is right now...he is in," Mr. Dickenson said.  
  
"I think we should inform your father, Bruce on what we found so far, but let's not let the boys know until we know everything," Judy said, her spirits dampening worst than before. "I don't think they would be able to take it in the state they are in right now."  
  
"I agree too," Mr. Dickenson nodded. "Until Kenny wakes up and the boys are able to pull themselves together, it's best we keep this to ourselves."  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
Rimnerel: Don't ask me why I stopped here I'm just not feeling the groove with my sister being off in her own little world.  
  
Tala: She said she would come back for the next chapter she just has to take care of her story first. Stop being such a big baby. (Rim razzes him) Oh, very mature.  
  
Kai: We hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and when Nakoruru returns, we promise that the next chapter will be longer. Now let us be off before I have to sit those two in time out. (indicates to Tala and Rim making faces at each other) 


	8. Paths

Rimnerel: If I tell you all it was Tyson's fault for us not updating sooner, would anyone believe me?  
  
Nakoruru: Don't you think it's mean that we're blaming Tyson for not updating.  
  
Tyson: I swear if you tell them that, I'm not helping you out ever again.  
  
Tala: Tell them that Rim! If it means that he'll never work on projects again!  
  
Tyson (glares at Tala): Shut up!  
  
Rimnerel: Um...okay, while those two are fighting, I'll just like to say thanks to Dark-Mage-Quisits, russle, B.Tiamat Atardecer, and The-Dark-Fire- Elf for all their reviews. Now let's get on with this story before some people kill themselves here.  
  
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Tala was on his back, staring at the ceiling of his room in the abbey. Unfortunately he had to share it with the other Demolition Boys, which gave him no real solitude. When he got back that evening and returned to the room after dinner, they bombarded him with questions on where he went. It took nearly thirty minutes to fend off their curiosity about what he was doing.  
  
Turning his azure eyes to the window, Tala wondered whether or not the Bladebreakers would be able to get through to Kenny's wayward soul. After discovering the reports about Kenny's incident, Tala realized that the young man must be filled with more than just pain. If he didn't have repressed anger and grief over the situation, then it was likely that it had numbed him to the point of not caring anymore.  
  
'I'm sure that I didn't help things out at all with kissing him, but I couldn't help it. Those beautiful sad lost eyes kept pulling at my heart, asking me for help. Hell...he probably wants to kill me for treating him like a helpless creature.' Tala thought amusingly.  
  
But to Tala, the boy did seem helpless. After so many years of abuse, he stopped reaching out for someone to help him. Or to him he thought he stopped reaching out. When in fact, Tala could still see the outstretched fingertips trying to break to the surface. The desperate eyes that continued to silently cry out for someone to see him. To understand his pain and maybe help him soothed it.  
  
'Great...now I'm attached to him. I suppose...he's the first person that's made me feel so fucking mirthful. I know this isn't going to work between us, but...I can always try.' He needed someone to fall back on Tala doubted that Kenny had any strong ties to any member on the Bladebreakers squad. So...maybe...it could work out after all. Meanwhile, as Tala thinks out things, a certain someone that occupied Tala's thoughts sat in his hospital bed wide awake.  
  
Kenny looked out the window at the night sky the room would be quiet if not for Tyson's snoring. When he awoke, he found his blue haired teammate by his bedside, asleep, but there. He would have expected Tala to be there...for some strange reason. Since that afternoon when he finally came out of his coma, and finding Tala there, Kenny started thinking of a lot of things.  
  
One being those closest to him, the Bladebreakers, Mr. Dickenson, his aunt, and uncle and all those bladers he met since joining the squad. On the top of things that he thought about was Tala, the young Russian captain of a rival team. For some reason, he couldn't get the red head's words out of his head. I was starting to wonder if it was worth it killing himself to escape the memories of his past.  
  
Since he went under, how had the others been affected by it? What did they say about it? Did they cry, or scold him while he slept? Did they try to find out why he did it, or accept the fact that he wanted to die? If they didn't care so much, why would they have saved him in the first place? If he didn't trust them so much, why did they continue to be by his bedside? It was exactly like his aunt and uncle.  
  
Not matter how quiet he was about things they continued to be at his bedside. Just like Tyson was doing now. Though...they didn't snore like the blue haired teen did. But just the fact that he was there, just near by, it calmed Kenny. Was it because he cared that much about Kenny? Was that why his aunt and uncle stayed by his bedside that time too? Just right after his father tried to kill him, was that why when he woke up, they were there? Because they cared too much to leave him be alone to deal with the pain of continuing to live?  
  
--------------------  
  
{Flashback}  
  
Kenny was well aware of the little sounds and feelings that surrounded him while he floated just above consciousness for a moment. A coldness that flowed into his veins from something that was attached to both his arms, it tingled some. There were things pricking him in his arms, legs, and somewhere else he couldn't pinpoint, probably connected to the coldness going through him. There was the noise of a soft rhythmic beeping.  
  
The wheeze of something else, he wondered if it had to do with the strange thing up his nose and in his mouth. It tickled as the air came in, vibrating slightly. He was aware of a dull ache in his chest, reminding him of what happened. Which was also when his eyes fluttered open against his will. The bright light blinded him, the young boy squinting until his eyes became accustom to the light.  
  
Scanning the room, he found several machines that hooked up to him. A bag of red stuff and a clear bag hung on each side of the bed. Tubes linked to the parts that dripped, which led to the ends that were taped into his arms. Focusing his eyes away from the machines that were more than likely keeping him alive, he found that the three people in the room had yet to notice he was awake.  
  
He quietly studied his aunt Dawn, almost the exact replica of his mother Carolyn Nagase. Only his aunt was four years younger than his mother. He didn't know her very well he grew up seeing her very little, if at all for months. While he stayed in the Chuo district of Japan, his aunt and uncle lived in Sendai, an impossible amount of distance between them...at least to him it seemed that way. At the thought of why he was laying there, he whimpered softly, the pain immediately returning.  
  
"Kenny?" his aunt turned to stare at him hope filling her eyes when she found him awake. His eyes cast away from them as the tears slipped free. The woman rushed to his bedside, taking hold of his hand. "Kenny, are you okay, can you talk? How do you feel? Say something to me please to let me know that you're all right."  
  
"Dawn, give him some space," his uncle remarked coming up to the bedside with the doctor. "He just woke up, let him get his bearings."  
  
"I know, but I'm so happy he's finally awake," Mrs. Shinoda cried.  
  
"Son," the doctor said. "Do you know how lucky you are to have survived through such tough odds? You may not know this, but you almost left us twice. Once coming into the hospital and another time while you were still unconscious. The angels must be watching over you carefully."  
  
Kenny moved his mouth, but no words came out. In fact, it was painful to even do that little action. His aunt moved closer to hear what he was saying, but he was sure she couldn't hear him. He didn't think anyone could hear his silent words as they told him to speak up. 'Why? Why did you save me? Why did you let me live? Why do you care what happens to me? Why? Tell me why.'  
  
"Kenny, you have to speak up, we can't hear you, baby," his aunt whispered, as tears rolled down her cheeks. She gave his hand a little squeeze, a smile on her face. "I'm so glad that you're alive. While you were sleep, your uncle and I decided to adopt you. Since we don't have any kids of our own, we can give you all the attention you need. You don't have to ever worry about anything. We'll be your parents from now on, and we will live together here. We've already set everything up, now you just get better so we can heal you."  
  
Kenny strained a little more to make his words be heard, but no matter what, they couldn't understand him. His aunt gave him a kiss on the head as she let go his hand. He closed his eyes that little exercise tiring him out. He felt a hand brush aside his hair as he fell back into darkness. He still didn't understand why they thought this was what he wanted. It wasn't, he wanted to be with his mother, to finally be able to rest. He did what was needed, so why wasn't he finally given peace. What did God want from him?  
  
{Flashback ends}  
  
-------------  
  
'I still don't understand now. But...I think that I'm starting to see why, at least for my aunt and uncle. They wanted me to live because they thought that's what I needed. I was never able to tell them what I really wanted. They would have kept making me go to that psychiatrist.' Kenny thought as he watched Tyson turn in his restless sleep, muttering something incoherent. 'But I don't understand about you Tyson.'  
  
Was it the same thing as with his relatives? Was it because he thought Kenny wanted to live? That the suicide was a grand mistake he should never make again. Tala told him that Tyson, Rei, Max, and Kai cared about him and would be pained if he were to die. For some reason, Kenny couldn't picture it so much. They had each other, they didn't need him for much except analyzing the attacks of their opponents, modifying their blades, and information.  
  
They didn't need him to talk to when they had something on their mind. They didn't want to confide in him about something they did, whether it's good or bad. Or confess about who they had a crush on. He was the fifth wheel on the Bladebreakers team who was only useful when they went into battle. He was only a novice blader that was made clear when he went up against Kai in the preliminaries during the regional championship in Japan.  
  
He didn't have good people skills like Rei or Max. People never just flocked to him like Tyson, nor did people look to him for leadership like Kai. During his elementary years in school, he never made one friend. Fearful that they would know what happened to him and never come near him again for fear his father's wraith would come down on them too. He submerged himself in books, then eventually knowledge itself, which was only then that he was sought out.  
  
But they were never his friends, just people that wanted his knowledge. They always left when they had no more use for him. 'But...' Kenny felt tears well up in his eyes, remembering Tyson. At first he only thought that Tyson wanted only what he knew like everyone else, until...  
  
--------------  
  
{Flashback}  
  
"Hey Chief! Chief, wait up!"  
  
Kenny turned around to find Tyson running up to him. He wondered what the male wanted now. They were done with everything Tyson needed to know. What more did he want? "Is there something wrong, Tyson?"  
  
"Nah, why would you say that? I just thought that I could walk you home, I mean, it's almost dark and all," Tyson indicated to the dusky setting the sky had already taken. "I don't want anything happening to my friends."  
  
"Friends...? We're...friends?" Tyson had to be the first person that has ever said that to him. He looked up at the grinning blue haired teen that was walking him down the street as the lights to the streetlights came on.  
  
"Yeah, what else would we be?" Tyson beamed. "You helped me out with things. I'm grateful I mean it. I don't think I could have beat Carlos without you. And I'm sure that I will be able to beat Kai with your help, if you help me out."  
  
So, that was it. He needed all the information he could gather on Kai and his blade so he could beat him. Then he would claim to have never been friends with Kenny. "I don't know Tyson."  
  
"Ah come on Chief," Tyson whined. "I know that if you train me, then I can do it. I mean, if you don't want to, that's cool, you'll still be my friend and we can still hang out."  
  
"You...really want to be...my friend?" Kenny blinked. He had never heard this come from anyone before. Why would Tyson want to spend his time with Kenny? It didn't make sense, not when he had tons of people that liked him and were better than Kenny.  
  
"Of course! It wouldn't be right for me to ask you for help if you weren't my friend. That would be taking advantage of you. I noticed how everyone treated you in school, I don't like it, and I understand if you don't trust me. But...I really want us to be best friends. You stick by my side and I stick by yours. What do you say?" Tyson gave the teen a huge grin that struck Kenny to the core.  
  
For the first time in a very long time, he smiled a genuine smile. "I guess...I'm stuck with you then."  
  
"Yep! That's right!" Tyson beamed. "From this moment on, you're my best friend. We'll be inseparable."  
  
{Flashback ends}  
  
--------------  
  
"We were supposed to be inseparable...I don't know how genuine you were about it, but I had a feeling we could never be. There was a part of me that wanted to reach out to you, but I knew if I did, I could expose myself to something that would be too painful to try to close," Kenny sighed. "And then Max came into the picture, you just...forgot me."  
  
"I didn't," came a voice in the dimly lit room. Kenny nearly jumped, finding Tyson wake and looking at him from where he was located in the chair.  
  
"I thought you were..." Kenny began.  
  
"I could feel your eyes on me...I woke up while you were in thought. I didn't mean to startle you," Tyson apologized. "Were you thinking about when we first met?"  
  
"That obvious?" Kenny stated.  
  
"I'm sorry," Tyson said sitting up in his chair. Kenny was shocked to find his eyes red, as if he had been crying since the time Kenny went under. "I'm sorry if it seemed that I didn't pay any attention to you. So much happened, but if you think about it, I never let you leave. You've stayed with me since I first started things. I kept my promise. As for Max, sure I may have paid attention to him, but he was a rival too. You've always been my best friend through thick and thin."  
  
"I don't feel like it," Kenny said. "You had no idea...no matter what, you never realized how much I loved you. You were the first person that gave any thought to me. But you never saw it, you looked at Kai and I just gave you up."  
  
"Chief...I'm sorry I never noticed. You never gave any indication," Tyson said. Lowering his eyes, he felt them mist up. "Am I the reason you did...this? I'm sorry if I am. I would never just ignore your feelings on purpose. If I had noticed I would..."  
  
"You weren't the reason for this. This is...has nothing to do with you or the others. It goes back a long ways before we met," Kenny said.  
  
There was silence momentarily before Tyson looked up at Kenny, his wide, dark blue eyes curious. "Does it have to do with your mother dying when you were younger?"  
  
Kenny was only half expecting that much. He remembered waking up to hear Tyson and Tala talking about his mother and Tyson going to tell the others about that little piece of information. "My mother did die, but she wasn't the reason that I tried to commit suicide. I'm sure that the doctors noticed it when I was admitted, they probably just didn't tell you right then."  
  
"Tell us...tell us what?" Tyson frowned.  
  
"You really want to know, come here," Kenny said. He watched Tyson get up from his chair and walk over to the bed. Kenny turned his wrists into the light for Tyson to see. Looking up, he saw the shock in his eyes. "They didn't tell you that before, I tried to kill myself. That was about three years ago. But my aunt saved me. And now you've done the same thing. I want you all to know that no matter your efforts, I'm going to do it again."  
  
"Don't say that Kenny," Tyson said, looking away, tears falling from his already red eyes. "Don't tell me that! I don't want to wake up one morning to find you dead!"  
  
"Why do you care so much?" Kenny questioned.  
  
"Why do you think I care? Why everyone is worried about you? Do you know that Kai broke down because he didn't see the signs? This has pained all of us deeply. We care about you. You're not just a teammate, you're our friend and even if you don't know it, we all have a bond that will support us if we only reach out for it," Tyson said, his voice cracking as he stared at Kenny.  
  
This wasn't the shy teen he first befriended. Was this the real Kenny? The one that no one saw underneath those shy, and often quiet smiles and worrisome nature. Was this the real Kenny that looked out at them from behind that mask? This numbing person that lost his smile long ago, that only mimicked others now. Tyson realized that seeing the real Kenny for the first time pained his soul to the core.  
  
"A bond? I don't sense it. Or see it, or feel it connecting me. I can't reach out to anyone anymore. I lost that ability a long time ago Tyson. You want to know why I tried to commit suicide again. I'll tell you. Because I'm not happy, the only way I can be is by ending my miserable life. I have spent so much time in the darkness I've grown accustomed to it. The darkness allows me to be at ease from the pain that is embedded in me for an eternity," Kenny said quietly.  
  
"Nothing can be as bad as you claim!" Tyson shouted. Kenny pulled the hospital sheet up to his waist before pulling his hospital gown up. In the glow of the light, Tyson was slapped into a reality he never knew existed. Even as he opened his mouth to ask about the long jagged scar that ran down Kenny's chest, he found that the words stuck to the back of his throat.  
  
"And you say that it's not as bad as you claim, Tyson."  
  
--------------  
  
When the door was opened, Judy found a woman that remarkably resembled Kenny right down to the blue of her eyes. This was his aunt? She looked more like she could be his mother, rather than his aunt. The woman gave Judy, Mr. Dickenson, and Bruce a curious stare as she looked from one to the other before resting her eyes on Judy again.  
  
"May I help you?"  
  
"Are you by chance, Dawn Shinoda?" Judy inquired.  
  
"Yes...I am. What's the matter?" Her expression changed from curious to worried.  
  
"We...we need to ask you something very important about your nephew, Kenny," Bruce said.  
  
"Kenny? How did you know that he was my nephew? Who are you people?"  
  
"Don't worry. Let me introduce myself," Judy said. "I'm Judy Tate, your nephew is on the same team as my son, Max. This is Mr. Stanley Dickenson he's the owner of the team that your son is on. And my other acquaintance is Bruce Granger, his son Tyson is also on the same team as Kenny," Judy remarked.  
  
"I remember those two boys. They were the first friends that Kenny ever brought home to meet his uncle and I. I was so happy that he finally made some friends. It's very nice to meet you. Why don't you come inside and take a seat?"  
  
"We currently don't have much time for that," Bruce said. "We came to inform you about Kenny. He...tried to commit suicide a few days ago. We thought that maybe you could help us with any information that might let us get through to him when he wakes up."  
  
"We know about the reports and about the scar. But...we need to know the whole story, please tell us everything you can. Our boys are scared too death and we want to give them solace," Judy said.  
  
"Kenny...no...not again..." Mrs. Shinoda said, leaning against the door. "I thought he was better...he seemed so normal..."  
  
"It seems not. Please, tell us everything that might be able to help us. Our boys have a right to know the truth to try to get through to him."  
  
---------------------------------  
  
Rimnerel: Yeah! Another chapter completed!  
  
Nakoruru: What was up with last chapter? I know I wasn't here, but did it have to suck that bad?  
  
Rimnerel: Onii-chan!!  
  
Nakoruru: Okay, okay sorry. It didn't suck that bad, it had good points. Which brings us to our next point. The next chapter should be out by the beginning of next week. So tell us what you think of this. 


	9. Wandering

Um, not much to really say about, but to thank all my reviewers for last chapter's reviews. I hope that everyone will enjoy this next chapter also, and that hopefully soon, I can get back to work on my other stuff too. Now let's get this chapter started.

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The woman in the doorway looked at the three individuals that were standing in her door. Her light blue eyes shifted from one to the other as she leaned against the doorway. Looking down, she took a deep breath then looked at each one again. "'Did he...did Kenny really try...again?"

"Yes," Judy nodded, her eyes tearing up. "He...ingested over 13 grams of aspirin into his body. His team found him before he slipped away and they got him to the hospital."

"Thank god..." Mrs. Shinoda sighed wearily.

"But...they...Tyson and all of his friends, they are worried about him. They haven't been able to sleep well since Kenny...please, you have to tell us everything that you know about what happened to Kenny before you adopted him," Judy pleaded.

Mrs. Shinoda looked down, a sad smile appearing on her lips. "I wish I could tell you about his pain, about what he went through...but..."

"But? What do you mean but?" Bruce said.

"But...he never confided in his uncle or I about anything. We sent him to a psychiatrist hoping that maybe...that maybe he could express himself. He never showed signs of anger for what his father did to him or pain he just stared at us, as if he didn't let it bother him and wondered why we let it get to us. I don't know what his father use to do to him, but it made him...numb to feelings," Mrs. Shinoda said, tears streaking her cheeks.

"We're sorry," Mr. Dickenson said.

"No. It's okay. You know, I was so happy when he made friends with Tyson. He was the first person that I ever saw Kenny smile at so freely. He was always an independent kid, but for the first time ever, he relied on someone else. I thought that he was finally free from the pain, I had no idea that...it was still there."

"Kids tend to be that way. They always try to act tough, grin when they want to cry, and act in reckless ways, but sometimes...I suppose wearing a mask is the only way you can get through the day without worrying those that care for you the most," Bruce said. "We promise that if there's anyway to help him, we'll find it."

"Thank you, and please take care of him for us. I don't know what more I can do for him, so maybe his friends can open that shell around him."

"We promise to bring him back as soon as he's better," Mr. Dickenson said. So he guessed that this trip was only partially successful. They would have to rely on Kenny after all, to tell them what happened. He had a feeling that the young man in question would be reluctant to tell them, when he had yet to tell his own family. But maybe he was wrong. Maybe Tyson and the others would make him see he wasn't alone.

------------------

Tyson closed his mouth, trying to gather his words before he opened his mouth again. He knew what he wanted to say, but when he made another try for them, they once more fled to the back of his throat, refusing to come out. His eyes would not leave the scar that ran from the left side of Kenny's chest down to his navel. Kenny stared at Tyson, his head tilted to the side as he dropped the gown, covering the scar.

"I thought as much," Kenny said. "Your ever so optimistic view of the world can't counter what you've seen, can it, Tyson? You say that things in this world only make you stronger, but they don't. I should know, I've lived through hell for nine straight years."

"H-h-h-how..." Tyson stammered.

"How did I get that scar?" A bitter smile rose to Kenny's lips as he looked down at the faint lines on his wrists. "It was...a present."

"A...present..."

"Yes...farewell present. And also, an invitation to slip into the darkness and die," Kenny said. "It's the reason that I will never be the Kenny you use to see."

"Kenny..." Tyson walked over on the bed, climbing onto it and hugged his friend gingerly. Tears continued to fall as the sobs came. "Please...please just stop saying so many things that...I can't take how you are. You have to get better for Kai, Rei, Max, and me. For your foster parents, for everyone, we're all here for you."

"It's not your fault, so don't pity me. I don't want sympathy for my past, I just want to die and go to my mother. If you really want me to get better, you should have let me die on and buried me next to my mother," Kenny said softly.

"Stop it!" Tyson pulled back, looking Kenny in the eyes for what was like the first time. He couldn't take such empty, blank eyes. "Stop hurting, stop pushing everyone away. Stop carrying this burden by yourself."

"Tyson..."

"Just get better, smile for me, like when we first met. If you want...I'll stay by yourself every day until..." Tyson started.

"Tyson, stop dreaming idealistic dreams. Do you really think that nine years of suffocating in this prison is so easy to dig out of? It's not, so just...stop. I'm tired. I'm tired of it all, this world, this life, this pain, my past, and everyone telling me that things will be all right. Just let me die, you know, everything will be better then," Kenny said softly as Tyson continued to cry into his shoulder.

When morning finally came, Tyson awake to find that he was on the bed beside Kenny who was asleep. His face was turned towards Tyson, who saw how innocent his friend looked when he was asleep. Tyson's eyes misted, remembering what was said the night before. How could he look so peaceful after saying...

Tyson turned his eyes away, down to Kenny's covered chest where that horrendous marking was. What had Kenny meant by a present, when talking about the scar? Who could be so cruel to give him such a gift? That sort of pain should never be felt, yet Kenny knew it. Tyson wondered if he could ever endure that sort of thing, and could never imagine how to go about it.

'I don't know what to do to help him.' Tyson realized. He squeezed his eyes shut, another wave of grief rolling over him. 'There's nothing that I can say that's going to make him change his mind about this, so what do I do? What are we going to do?'

"Tyson, are you awake?" A hand touched Tyson's arm lightly. Turning over, he found Kai looking down at him with lost auburn eyes. "I...didn't want to disturb you." Kai pulled his hand back, looking over at Kenny who was still asleep. "Any change?"

"Kai!" Pulling himself up from the bed, Tyson practically tossed himself into Kai's arms crying. Kai stumbled for a second, but regained his balance, wrapping his arms around Tyson. Tyson laid his head into Kai's chest, sobbing once more. "I can't do it. I don't know what to do. There's nothing I can do...and it hurts so much!"

"Tyson...?"

"He woke up...last night...he...he..." Tyson stammered between sobs. "T-t-there's...it...goes...all the way...to his navel."

"What? What are you talking about?" Kai pushed up Tyson's face, seeing the pain engulfed dark storm eyes.

"He's talking about my scar," another voice answered Kai's question. Auburn eyes widened finding Kenny sitting up in the bed, staring at them.

"You're really awake."

"Yes, I'm awake...and...alive." Kenny ran a hand through his hair, turning his eyes to look out the window at the new day. Another day that he had to live, knowing that the voice may come back. That the dreams would come back, that the pain in his chest would never ease. Why did God want to torment him in such a manner?

"Hey Kai, is everything all—"Max and Rei came in the room, but stopped, seeing the fifth member of their team finally awake.

"So, now everyone is here."

"Kenny!" Max's eyes tear up as he stares at his friend.

"Kenny...you're finally awake," Rei said.

"Rei, Max..." Kenny nodded his acknowledgement towards the other two Bladebreakers members.

"How do you feel? Are you okay?" Rei inquired, as always worried about others rather than his own health. Kenny could tell that the Chinese boy was still not better from his battle with Bryan.

"You shouldn't have worried so much about me, you're still injured," Kenny countered.

"What do you mean we shouldn't be worried about you?" Max said suddenly. The tears in his eyes fell as he lowered his head. "We were all so worried about you. Why did you try something so stupid? Why would you want to end things like that! I don't understand it Kenny. You got to tell us why!"

"Please..." Rei begged his golden eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Even Kai stared at the male with misty eyes. Tyson's tears left up, but he still had his head against Kai's chest. Max continued to stare at the floor, one or two drops of wetness hitting the ground in front of him occasionally.

"I will tell you the same thing I told Tyson last night when I woke up. The reason I did it, the reason that I act in that manner was because I want to die. That's been my one true wish for more than five years now," Kenny answered.

"But why?" Rei asked.

"Because...for the past nine years, my life has been pushing me off balance as I continued to try to move forward. I'm tried of it, so I wanted to try falling again," Kenny responded.

"Try falling again? What do you mean?" This time it was Kai that asked the question. Out of everyone else's, besides of course Tyson, his seemed the most hurt.

"This hasn't been the first time I've tried something like this." Kenny turned his eyes back to his teammates, seeing the shock visible in Max, Rei, and Kai's eyes. "When I was ten, I slit my wrists open, hoping that my end would be sealed. But...I was saved, and had to force myself to wait until I had another time, a time that no one would stop me, I guess now wasn't that time because here I am, still alive."

"How can you stay that without...without any emotion!" Max cried. "How can you just sit there as if you almost didn't die? How?"

"Because death doesn't scare me, because that's what I want more than anything else in the world. My mother died when I was four and since that time, I've been trying to reach her, but never can. I know that being killed is unpredictable, so I figured what the hell, if I'm going to be tormented, I might as well kill myself and go to Hell. It's not like God cares anymore," Kenny said quietly.

"Don't say that. God hasn't given up on you," Max stated. "You just have to search a little bit harder to find your angel."

"No Max, I don't have an angel. My faith in God has died, along with my faith in this world. There's nothing left in this world I look forward towards except my own death. I do thank you all for your friendship, even though that hasn't done anything to ease the pain of my continuously dying heart."

Silence fell on the entire room as Max turned from the male in the hospital bed and left the room. "Max!" Rei went after the blonde that exited the room. Which left Kenny with Kai and Tyson who was showing no signs on speaking another word.

"You should let Tyson get some air you know," Kenny remarked softly. "My words aren't doing him any good, nor anyone else...but it's the truth."

"I know," Kai said softly. "I didn't see the signs...I'm sorry, I should have."

"I don't blame you, Kai."

"I blame myself though. I better than anyone else should know what it's like to put on a mask. The pain of being hurt over and over again and no one stopping it from happening, asking God why each time you're forced to suck up everything, only to hurt more. I know that pain. You have nightmares too, don't you?" Kai inquired.

"If you know so much about my pain, you must know how much I don't want to talk about it because nothing changes," Kenny countered.

"I understand." Without another word, Kai pulled Tyson with him out the hospital door as Kenny felt the effects of sleep overcome him once again. He didn't know why, but his chest had begun to hurt a great deal more than usual. As he rested on the pillow and closed his eyes, he wondered if it was because of Tyson and the others.

--------------

{Flashback}

The little boy for a minute watched the other kids run around the playground laughing. As they jumped up on the monkey bars, or screamed while going down the slide, or push each other in the swings until they seemed like they were going into orbit. Eventually he went back to his book on Algebra. He was the only kid on the playground that wasn't up jumping around.

"Kenny?" A woman in her mid twenties walked up to the little boy. Her dark brown eyes stared down at him with a slight frown. The little boy looked up at her.

"Yes ma'am," he said.

"Aren't you going to go play with the other kids?" This woman was his fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Hanako Ayaoshi.

"No, I don't think that I want to play. I still have a few more problems to solve that you gave me to do," Kenny replied.

"You're such a smart kid," Mrs. Ayaoshi replied. "But I think it's also healthy that you have an energetic nature too, it's natural for children your age to get up and run around."

"It probably is, but I'm not that sort of kid," Kenny replied.

"You're not?" she grinned. "What makes you so different the other children your age?" Sitting down beside him, she tilted her head to the side.

"Well...I guess my want for knowledge. Most kids my age are caught up in games and things they will stop when they hit puberty. For me, I'm caught up in my pursuit of things out there. Things that most people don't question until later in their life, like if there's a God, or why God would put us here when most people suffer."

"My, you're into theology too," she laughed. "I don't actually know Kenny. I suppose you would have to ask someone else that question. I'm only human, I don't have all the answers."

"I know. But haven't you ever wondered about those things. Why some are fortunate while others..." Kenny looked down at his book, feeling the tears rise up. He wasn't going to cry.

"Kenny?" The woman noticed the change in the boy.

"Why are some people pushed into dark spaces that enclose their heart in darkness? Why God would allow souls to damper if he loves everyone equally? Why would God allow a child molester to live, while a girl that's been hit by a car dies? I don't get it at all, do you?"

"Well..."

"I should be getting home, I still have to finish these problems you gave me. Bye Mrs. Ayaoshi." Kenny got up from the bench, putting his books back in his bag.

"Kenny, if you ever want to...talk...I'm here, okay?"

"I know."

{Flashback ends}

------------

"So you're awake now," came a light voice from the side of the bed. Kenny turned his eyes to the chair occupied by the red haired captain of the Demolition Boys. "Good afternoon."

"What do you want?" Kenny mumbled, turning his eyes away.

"Well...guess I'm not welcomed. Still mad about the kiss?" Tala said.

"Idiot."

"I guess that counts as a yes then," Tala stated.

"What do you want? Why are you here?" Kenny questioned, turning his attention back to the male getting up from his chair and coming to sit on the side of the bed. Once more, their eyes met as Tala let his gaze roam over Kenny's face. "You want to know something, you told me that they would be there for me. But they couldn't handle the truth."

"You didn't tell them everything did you?"

"They learned enough of how I felt and what I wanted, they didn't seem like they could take the full force of things, so I didn't tell them," Kenny remarked.

"I figured that much," Tala smiled. "You know, I'm sure that if anyone knows best, it would be Kai. Did you know that his grandfather murdered his mother and father then forced him to train? Kai use to hate beyblading, and when he wouldn't obey his grandfather, Voltaire would beat him, until Kai had no choice but to go along with things. Eventually, he just gave in."

"Are you trying to make me guilty about how I feel?" Kenny questioned. "I don't."

"You want to know something else? I learned that Bryan's parents use to abuse him too. His father was an alcoholic who use to beat his wife, she in turn use to take out her anger on Bryan and his younger brother. Eventually, it got to the point where Bryan's father used Bryan's younger brother to score more booze when he didn't have any money. Bryan found out and nearly beat his father to death. His brother died you know, Bryan couldn't take it and ran away, joining the abbey," Tala said.

Kenny looked up at Tala, finding the male staring out the window while thinking. What was the use telling him all this? Did he expect Kenny to feel guilty, that his situation wasn't so significant as he empathized it to be? It wasn't going to work. His mind was already set, when he got the chance again, he was going to make sure that this time he died. He wasn't going to go through more years breaking down.

"I guess I can tell you my story," Tala grinned. "Where to start...well...I was born out of a loveless union. My real father died when I was still a baby. Well...my real father was the brother of the man that my mother married. It was a while before he found out I think I was about two. I heard him yelling at her, saying that he hated her and me. He grew distant from me, even while I tried to bond with him. I think there was one or two instances growing up where he would beat me just because I looked like his brother."

The young man closed his eyes, remembering the pain of the rod coming across his back as he screamed for his father to stop. The look in the man's eyes as he rose the object again to strike him, but his mother coming in throwing herself on top of him to block the blow. The rod striking her, Tala remembered how she whispered that his father didn't mean any of it, that he was just upset with her. His father getting angry with his mother and kicking her to the side so he could get at Tala again.

"My mother always came to my rescue. I loved her so much, and would do everything she asked of me. One night though, I heard her telling my stepfather she was leaving with me, and he screamed that he hoped she went to hell with me. We left that next day packing the little clothes we could and left. But...we didn't get far my stepfather ran her over with a car and then tried to kill me too. But for some reason, he stopped. He got out the car and made me get in."

"That's when he took you to the abbey?" Kenny found himself asking.

"Actually, he took me to this remote area, tied me up and beat me for a while, saying that my mother couldn't stop him anymore. I think I was there for a couple of days. When he finally let me go, I could barely walk. That was his favorite game...when he didn't force himself on me. He said I was going to atone for my mother's sins. Eventually, he grew tired of me and dumped me in the abbey and left," Tala murmured. "At times growing up, I had nightmares. Kai had them, Bryan, everyone at that abbey has a story of why they're there."

"And the moral of that story I suppose is that I shouldn't cry over what happened to me because it could have been worst, right?" Kenny stated, looking away.

"Wrong. You know, for someone so smart, you're a dumb kid," Tala remarked.

"What?" Kenny glared at Tala who grinned at him. "What did you just say to me?"

"I said for someone whose suppose to be so smart, you're dumb," Tala repeated. "The morale of me telling you that wasn't sympathy or to show you that things could have been worst."

"Then what was it for? Just decided to share sob stories?"

"Obviously you aren't seeing the picture. Everyone has some sort of heartache and grief, others more than most. I know your pain, Kai knows your pain, a lot of people know your pain, but...I know I won't let it get in the way of making my own way through life. You're an idiot for letting it eat at you. Sometimes you just got to throw it all away and say fuck it," Tala responded. "I don't think I could do like you, I'm not that much of a coward."

"Are you saying that...I'm afraid?" Kenny blinked. "I'm not afraid!"

"Yes you are. You're afraid to push it all away and say fuck the past, fuck what happened, I'm going to make a life for myself against all odds. You're afraid to climb out your hole and walk on your own. Afraid to smile, afraid to laugh, afraid to show someone your tears, if you're going to continue to let your father control you, then you might as well die."

"Shut up!" Kenny shouted, sitting up to hit Tala. A smirk came to Tala's face as he grabbed Kenny's hands before he could strike him. "Let me go!"

"If you're so angry, let it go. If you're so sad, let it go. If you hurt, tell someone. If you want to be loved, wanted, needed, let someone know," Tala remarked. "Stop being such a coward and running away. Stop letting the voices of the past directed you, mock you, and kick you down. Tell them to leave you the hell alone and move on with your life."

"I can't," Kenny said. He squeezed his eyes shut, the tears trickling down. "I can't."

"You can, you just don't want to. You need help, I'm here for you." Tala released Kenny's hands. "Your friends are here for you. Everyone you think you can't depend on, they will always be here for you. Just open your eyes and look." Tala got up from off the bed, staring back and Kenny who had his arms wrapped around himself. "I'm leaving, that's all I really wanted you to know. Tell me now if you want me to come back or not."

"I...I..."

"If you want to talk, let someone know your pain, just tell me. If not, then I'll go. I...I do want to see you again, Kenny. Just to let you know, I like you a lot. You shouldn't suffer, it was wrong of your father to make you suffer," Tala said quietly.

"I don't know," Kenny whispered.

"Kai knows how to get in touch with me, you want to talk, tell him to get in touch with me, and I'll come. If you have nightmares and want someone to be there, I'll come, but you'll have to let me know. I have to go now." Tala walked out the door, leaving Kenny with this incessant pain running rampant through him. Why was he aching so much now? It didn't make sense.

"That stupid idiot! I hate him! I hate him so much!" Kenny curled up into a ball, trying to stop the tears that a certain Russian young man caused. "Why...why do you love me so much? Why?"

-----------------------

Another chapter done! And on to work on Sympathy next, I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter, it may have gotten a bit choppy in the middle, but the end pulled things together, ne? Well, tell us what you think, later!


	10. Walls

Let's see...what do I have to say...not much so I'm just going to go ahead and say my thanks. I would like to Kage Miko, B. Tiamat, Cat in the web, Ramen II, and FREAK014, for all the reviews and going to try to make this next chapter as emotional as I can with of course my sister's help and the muses. So sit back and enjoy the story! Because this stupid thing isn't working right, I'm going to use the long break points for the story, please bear with. Thank you.

* * *

Kenny tossed and turned in bed, the covers sticking to his body as he fought with whatever force that invaded his dreams. A cold sweat clung to his entire body as he gasp, a sound of pain escaping his lips. His body thrashed repeatedly, trying to get way from the invisible hands that held him down. Tears trickled down his face in rivets, the pain in his dreams becoming greater by the moment. 

"Please...please don't! Please stop!" Kenny cried out in his sleep, trying to claw at whatever it was that menaced him. "Please! Please stop! Stop it! Please don't!"

Kenny's hands were pinned to the bed as the brunette tried kicking the thing in his dreams away from him. The monitor of the machine beeped rapidly, brought on by the change in the boy's heart rate and pulse. Kenny tossed his head to the side, unable to wake up from what gripped him. The panic in his face increased as his legs went flat against the bed, as if strong hands held them down.

"No! Papa please don't I'm sorry. I'll be good, I'll be good, I promise!" Kenny begged. "I promise I won't disobey you again! Please don't hurt me! Please don't papa!"

Kenny's body continued to thrash as he released a scream that sounded on the entire hall he was staying on. The on duty nurses that made their rounds on the halls rushed to the room where the screaming was coming from. Pushing the door open, they found the boy's body convulsing, the monitor on the machine still beeping continuously, putting his pulse at more than 107 beats per minute.

As the nurses were about to rush to wake the boy up, his body went limp against the bed the monitor on the machine dropping to one continuous beep "Someone get a doctor and hurry!" One of the nurses screamed as two rushed over to the bedside, preparing to give CPR until the doctor got there.

* * *

Judy barely heard the ringing of her cell phone, until it ringed for the seventh time. Her eyes fluttered open as she rummaged in her bag for the phone. Looking at the number on it, she realized that it was coming from the hospital. Flipping the phone open she answered it. "Hello?"

"Judy," Tyson's grandfather's voice came through. "Where are you? Is Bruce and Mr. Dickenson with you?"

"We're on our way back to the hospital, what time is it?" she said, looking over at the other two men that were still sleep in the limo.

"It's seven in the morning. Listen, are you on your way back now?"

"We're on our way to the hospital right now, has something happened?" Judy was afraid for the worst. Had Kenny slipped deeper into his coma? Had he awaken and tried to commit suicide again?

"There's some good and bad news," Tyson's grandfather said.

"What's the bad news?" Judy remarked, gripping the phone tighter. There was a pause before the older man begun.

"We nearly lost him last night. He went into convulsions and his body shut down completely. The doctors said it might have been triggered by the nightmare that he had. But the good news is that he survived and is awake now."

"Thank you God. So, how is...he mentally?" Judy bit her lip, afraid that he might have regressed into amnesia or worst.

"He's fine in that area. He knows where he is and everything. He doesn't want to talk to a lot of people, but he's there. They're going to try to get some solid food in him. If he can hold it down, then they may release him from the hospital in another day or two," the old man said.

"Thank you. We'll be at the hospital in no more than 30 minutes. If there's any change before we make it there, don't hesitate to call. We'll see you then." Judy hung up the phone, a smile crossing her lips. This had to be a good sign. Reaching across the seats, she shook Mr. Dickenson and Bruce awake.

"Are we at the hospital already?" Bruce said, looking out the window to find the car still rolling down the road.

"I just got a call from your father, Bruce. He's at the hospital," Judy said. She watched the worry fill both men's eyes. "Don't worry, everything isn't so bad. He nearly died after his body shut down last night, but he's okay. Your father also said that he's wake."

"But..." Mr. Dickenson started.

"Don't worry, he's all there. They're going to try to get some solid food in his today, and if he can hold it down, he'll be able to leave the hospital in another day or two," she smiled.

"Thank the Lord," Bruce said. "After going to Japan, I hoped that things would get better for us. I'm sure that the boys are at the hospital by now, but...how are we going to break the news to them? I doubt that Kenny's going to feel very comfortable with us telling them while he's in the room. I think we should isolate them for a while to let them know what we learned, and then maybe figure out an approach to asking Kenny."

"That sounds like a good plan, but how do you think they're going to take what we learned. Do you think it will be too much for them?" Judy asked.

"We won't know until we get to the hospital," Mr. Dickenson said. The other two nodded in agreement, sitting back thinking to themselves about things until the limo pulled up to the hospital. Waiting outside by the entrance was Bruce's father and the other Bladebreakers. The three adults got out the limo and walked up to the group who looked more haggard than when they left.

"Hi guys, how are you hanging up?" Bruce asked the boys. Max was clinging to Rei, refusing to look up, while Tyson seemed mute now. His dark eyes downcast to the ground and didn't even acknowledge his father's presence. Rei had worried eyes on Max, while Kai looked to be in thought. He was the only one that looked up at Bruce, Mr. Dickenson, and Judy.

"They're not good," he said softly. "They're losing faith."

"What? What do you mean? Aren't you they the littlest happy that Kenny's awake now?" Judy inquired.

"He really woke up two days ago, while you were gone. Tyson was the first one to speak with him, then the rest of us later. What he said...it really hurt them a lot," Kai said. Kai shifted his eyes to Tyson who studied the ground, tuning out what Kai was saying. Max placed his face in Rei's shirt and began crying softly again. Rei wrapped his arms around Max, rubbing his back gently.

"Did he...?" Kai shook his head, knowing what Judy was going to say.

"What did you find out?" Kai inquired, his eyes curious. "You have to tell them now so they can understand why he told them that the only thing that he looks forward to in this world is his death. Please let them know that they can't give up."

"He..." Judy trailed off. No wonder they looked so lost now. They didn't know what to do or think. Judy stared at Kai, seeing that he had regained his composure just a little, but his eyes still looked so haunted. She had a feeling if anyone of them understood the pain Kenny held on to, it would be him she doubted that Voltaire was a model grandfather for anyone.

"Please tell them," Kai said.

"Okay," Judy nodded. "Max...Tyson, I want you two to listen to me carefully, okay." Neither boy gave any indication that they were listening, so she just assumed that they were going to. "Kenny...he's had a very hard life. His mother died when he was four, which left him to live with his father. His father...he wasn't too well after that and hurt Kenny a lot. We're not sure how much, we tried to ask his aunt and uncle, but he never told them either. But...he hurt Kenny a lot."

"Is that who gave him that scar on his chest?" Tyson mumbled. "He showed it to me. He said it was a present...I couldn't say anything...I can't close my eyes without seeing it and knowing he's lived with it all this time."

"Yes...his father did that," Bruce said, his voice coloring with anger. How could a father treat his most precious creation like that? "But he's in prison now, and he will never be able to hurt Kenny again. You boys have to tell him it's all right now. That there's nothing left for him to fear."

"He's not going to listen to us," Tyson shook his head. "He's not going to smile like he use to. We know now, and he's going to continue to push us away, and we won't be able to do anything about it."

"That's not true, Tyson," Mr. Dickenson said.

"Tyson," Kai said. "You and Max have to understand that from the time he was four up until when his father was locked away, he's had no one to fall back on. He's been alone and that can make you think one certain way. His father probably told him how worthless he was, how much he would grow up to be nothing, that the only one he could rely on is the person that hurt him, if others would hate him for telling. I know how he feels, and know that the hardest thing to do is wonder if the person who says they're your friend will end up hurting you. It's a continuous cycle of hurt...or at least it seems that way from his point of view. You have to remember that."

"But..." Tyson whimpered.

"No one said that it was going to be easy, you're just going to have to try harder, to show him that he can't get rid of you. What happened to that stubborn guy that continued to pester me until I finally paid you a speck of attention? Who told me that he was never going to give up no matter what?" Kai said.

"I don't want to give up," Tyson said. "But..."

"Are you going to continue to make excuses or are you going to try to make a difference?" Kai said.

"I want to make a difference," Tyson sniffed.

"Then you will," Kai assured. "Rei, maybe you guys should head back to the hotel and get some rest. You've been up for a while."

"Yeah." Rei pulled Max from his shirt and lightly pulled him along. Tyson sort of just went along with the two. Once they were out of earshot, Kai stared at the adults seriously, his eyes studying each one.

"You didn't find out much more did you?"

"No, we didn't," said Mr. Dickenson.

"I thought as much," Kai remarked. "It's not going to be easy for him to open up. He's been alone this long, I doubt that he knows how to break away from the grip his father has on him still."

"Kai..." Bruce trailed off. Kai lowered his head a bit, his eyes hiding behind his bangs.

"My grandfather use to hit me all the time, I know how he feels. After he killed my parents, I was too afraid to do anything for fear I would be next. Then as I grew older, I was more resistant...I was beat more. The abbey was to discipline me. I still have nightmares about it all, so I understand him. I just wish I saw it all sooner," Kai whispered.

"Nobody blames you," Judy said. "We should have all seen it. It was right in front of our eyes. But we can fix it now that we see it. It just might take a little bit of time."

"But the question is will we have that time?" Kai said, looking up at the adults.

"We'll just have to find out," Mr. Dickenson said.

* * *

Kenny turned around from pushing around the vegetables in the bowl of soup they gave him to find Max's mom, Tyson's dad and grandfather, Mr. Dickenson, and Kai coming into the room. Lowering his eyes back to the contents in the bowl, he knew why they were there. "I suppose my aunt and uncle said you had to ask me what happened, right?"

"You..." Judy started.

"I had a feeling someone would try," Kenny interrupted. "It was all in the effort to put Tyson and the others to rest. It did no good, did it? So, what do you want to know about my father?"

"Do you want to talk about your father?" Bruce said.

"I don't care anymore. Eventually I'll die sooner or later. I guess someone should know, right?" Kenny shrugged indifferently. "He beat me. He hit me with anything he got his hands on, books, belt buckles, extension cords, one time he took part of this branch that was out in the backyard and knocked me against the wall with it. Broke my arm and I had to go to the hospital. Lied his ass off to get out of that one. When we got home, he beat me with the television wire for nearly getting him in trouble. It didn't matter what he use, it hurt all the same."

Everyone was silent, seeing the way the brunette's face became emotionless as he talked. Judy found her hand over her mouth as the boy pushed around the items in the soup, his tone distant and unfeeling. She could understand why Max and Tyson were so pained to be around the young man.

"Kenny..." Mr. Dickenson started.

"I don't want pity or sympathy if that's what you were going to say. It does no good for me. I've already been labeled. He always told me that I would never escape him. No matter how far I tried to run, he would always be there to make sure that I could never see the light of day again. Please...just leave me alone," Kenny said.

"Is that what you really want?" Bruce said.

"What do you think? I'm tired of seeing that look in everyone's eyes. I'm tired of it. Just leave me the hell alone! Why couldn't you all just let me die? Why couldn't you just let me sleep away until I was dead? You don't understand my pain you don't understand nothing about me," Kenny said, his tone darkening. "None of you would last a day in my shoes."

There was silence in the room until Kai walked up to the bed, staring down at Kenny. "You idiot." The remark was...to say the least, shocking. Kai glared down at the brunette, his eyes darkening with anger.

"Kai..." Judy's voice colored with concern. Kai completely ignored the woman as he continued to stare at Kenny.

"How could you say something stupid like that? You don't want pity well I'm not going to pity you. I'm not going to sympathize you. Suck it up and move on. Everyone's trying to help you, but you just want to whine like a baby. For all the tears that you're wasting on the past, I'm striving to make a future for myself," Kai scoffed.

"Shut up!" Kenny said. "Stop saying that! It's just like his words! Why do you have to sound like him! I hate him! I hate how he thinks that I can just move on like nothing...nothing happened. He doesn't know a thing!"

"Who are you talking about, Kenny? Do you mean your father?" Mr. Dickenson inquired.

"No," Kai said, his eyes never leaving Kenny, who has by now pushed the roll away cart to the side and wrapped his arms around his knees, rocking himself. "He means Tala."

"Tala? You mean Tala Ivanov from the Demolition Boys?" Bruce blinked. "But..."

"After you, Mr. Dickenson, and Judy left, Tyson told me that he came to visit Tala, which was how he figured out about Kenny's mother dying when he was younger. Tala told Tyson that night after the World Championship, Kenny was going to commit suicide, but he stopped Kenny. I hadn't expected Tala to get involved...but..." Kai trailed off for a moment.

"But..." Judy urged.

"He probably knows Kenny's pain better than anyone else that I know," Kai stated.

"You mean..."

"Tala's stepfather found out that Tala's mother had a child by his brother. He hated Tala and his mother and often took pleasure in beating Tala unmercifully. When Tala's mother tried to get him and her away, his stepfather ran her over, then took Tala to a remote area for a few weeks to beat and rape him repeatedly. The day Tala came to the abbey, he could hardly walk from being tied up so long. Tala has always cared that burden, but he was always determined to make a way for himself no matter what," Kai said, turning from Kenny.

"Where are you going, Kai?" Tyson's grandfather spoke up.

"Back to the hotel to check on the others. He's not going to open up to us, so why waste my time getting frustrated? I'm tired I can't deal with his whining. If he wants to talk then fine," Kai remarked.

"So, you're abandoning me?" Kenny blinked, raising his head from his knees. Burnt sienna hair fell from his eyes, revealing the misty sapphire orbs that looked so lost and empty it pained the adults to stare directly into them. Kai turned his eyes to meet Kenny's unfazed by the stare.

"I would never abandon you, Kenny. Neither would Tyson, Max, Rei, your foster parents, nor anyone here. You're looking for an excuse to run away, but I'm not going to give you one. I'm going to say this once because I'm sure Tala told you already. Let go of the past and show your father how wrong he was," Kai advised.

"But..." Kenny's eyes shimmered with wetness that refused to fall.

"You better not say you can't do it. You can, just stop letting him control you. Your father doesn't have power over you. He can't hurt you. Kill him in your mind, shut the door and lock it forever."

"I..." Kenny bit his lip, the voice in his head growling.

'Don't you dare listen to him, boy! He will never be able to stop me, and you know it! I own you! I'll own you forever! You're mine!' sneered the voice.

"Say it Kenny it's not that hard," Kai whispered. "He can't hurt you."

"I..." He wanted to speak up, but he was afraid. Afraid of another horrendous nightmare like the one he had the previous night. The thought of suffering through another session like that while the voice continued to growl at him leaned him to shut up. Yet Kai's eyes seemed so reassuring. "I...I want..."

'You don't want anything you little bastard. You can't have anything. You're worthless!'

"Kenny, you'll never be able to break free if you hesitate in saying what you want. Say what you want and I promise whatever it is, I will personally get it for you," Kai promised.

'Don't listen to him! He'll never keep his promise to you! He's insignificant next to me! You'll always be mine, to do with whatever I want until the end of this world. So keep your damn mouth shut, or I promise that you will never see your mother again!' the voice whispered cruelly in his ear.

"No...leave me alone!" Kenny covered his ears as the voice cackled, the sound echoing throughout his head. "Please...don't...no..."

"Kenny! Stop listening to the voice!" Kai ordered. "He can't hurt you anymore, understand me!"

"No...I'm sorry...please...I'm sorry..." Kenny curled up into a tight ball, his entire form shaking with fear. His hands were still up to his ears. "I'm sorry...please...I'm sorry..." Eventually, the emotional strain he put on his body peaked and the five individuals watched him drift off into a restless slumber. Kai walked up to the bed, laying the brunette up against the pillows and pulling the cover over him.

"It's not going to be easy, I know, but I promise you, Kenny, everything will be all right," Kai whispered, feeling a protectiveness of the brunette starting to overcome him. In a way, Kenny reminded Kai of himself and Tala when they were first going through the grief of dealing with the events of their life. The pain, the mistrust, the hate, and the thoughts of ending everything so they wouldn't feel anymore. He wasn't going to let that happen no matter what.

"You're right Kai," Bruce said, placing a hand on the dual haired team captain's shoulder. "It's not going to be easy for him. But I think that you boys will be able to bring him back."

"I believe so too," Judy agreed. "Once they get over the initial shock of things, they will be able to do anything they set their minds to. After all, you guys are the Bladebreakers. You can do anything you set your minds to."

"I hope you're right about that," Kai said, brushing a tuff of hair from Kenny's eyes. He really did hope she was right, he didn't think the others could take losing Kenny like this.

* * *

Okay, that's it for the chapter! I hope everyone found it to be enjoyable! Okay, now I have to get going, so many things I have to do...like eat pizza! Okay, I will see everyone another time. Until I update again, later!! 


	11. Steps

Author's note: Hello everyone. I know that I haven't updated Aster Fall, Sympathy From The Devil, or Pushing Me Away, but I'm going through another leg of writer's block with them, and then...everyone is on my case about my math test. I mean, so what if it was a 58!! It's just one test!! One test, I can make it up next time!! Okay, well, since this was the only thing coming through, I thought I might as well update it. So for all my readers, here you go!!

* * *

Kenny sat on the hospital bed staring at the edge of the bed. He wasn't all too interested staring at the edge of the place he's been sleeping on. His mind was immersed with something completely different in fact. That of course was a certain red haired teen. For some reason, no matter what he did, Tala's voice came back to haunt him, his words resonating in his mind over and over again.

It was strange, no matter how much he reasoned against Tala's words, something else came to him. As if Tala was there, telling him he wasn't going to let Kenny sit there, blaming himself for what his father did to him. For a while in fact since his thoughts remained interrupted, the voice in his mind, the one that told him he would never escape his past, was kicked to the back of his mind.

A calm overcame him once that happened, and here he was, sitting quietly listening to the silence. He had to admit this was the first time in a very long time he was not assaulted mentally or physically. It was like when he was eight and his father went on that trip for a few days, leaving him in the house alone.

{Flashback}

"Come here boy," Kenny's father said, yanking the boy of eight up out of his chair at the kitchen table as he did his homework. Kenny's full attention immediately fixed on the man, seeing if the usual scowl or sneer was locked on his face. Kenny could never tell the sort of mood his father would be in unless he smacked Kenny or hit him with something. If his father was angry with him, he hoped the man wouldn't hit him too hard so he could attend school.

"Have I done something wrong, papa?" the boy asked both cautiously and softly, just in case he was in one of those moods that the slightest thing triggered him off.

"Actually, for once in your miserable life I don't need to hit you for your stupidity," his father said. "You're lucky this time boy."

"What's happened?" Kenny inquired. This was a change of pace. For once his father was happy.

"Your father's been asked on a trip with a woman he met at the bar last night. I'm going to be gone the entire weekend, so you better act like you have sense, because if I come back and you've gotten me in trouble, I promise I will slit your throat open. You understand me boy," his father threatened.

"Yes, papa," Kenny nodded, a spark of relief overcoming him. His father was going away for a few days. Meaning he wouldn't have to be beat for random reasons. He didn't mind the being alone part in fact he thought it was the most brilliant idea in a very long time.

"Good. I'm leaving." And with that, his father was gone, leaving Kenny with the serenity of the house. Not exactly knowing what he wanted to do, Kenny went back to his seat at the table and looked around for a long time. The house actually felt warmer with his father gone. It wasn't the cold, fearful place he returned home to each day from school to be beat or starved. It wasn't a place right now that he needed to hide when his father was drunk. Nor was it a place he was going to cry alone in the dark, for the time being. It was like any normal house with a normal family.

{Flashback ends}

"Time seemed to fly by those three days he were gone," Kenny mumbled to himself. "Like I blinked and he was in front of me again, sneering at me. Of course he would have to come home drunk and..."

Kenny closed his eyes, still able to feel his back smack hard against the wall, a cry of pain the only sound he could make as a boot inserted itself square into his abdomen. Dropping him to his knees as the tears soaked into the carpet while he clenched his mid section, gasping for air, but it was just out of reach as another as he received another boot to the back.

The slurred words of hatred filled his ears with deeper wounds upon his heart. The utterances of how his father should have told the doctors to let him die when he was born. Why couldn't Kenny have died instead of the woman that he cared about more? Why couldn't God just strike his idiot son down and send him to hell for killing his wife? So many things that made Kenny wish God would strike him down for whatever sin it was to live in such a manner.

"I was such a coward then...but...I'm still a coward now..."

He could have done something, made a difference...but he was just a kid who was so afraid of his father to pick up the phone and make the one call that could have saved everyone some tears. Maybe that would have stopped his continuous descend into despair and darkness. If he had just...

'Just what?' the voice in the back of his mind broke free once again. 'You think you could have conjured up the balls to call the police? I doubt you ever could, if you had the chance.'

"I..." Kenny lowered his head onto his knees, which he drew to his chest.

'Are you going to let him continue to control your life forever?' Tala's voice rose up. 'You don't have to listen to a word he says, he can't hurt you anymore, nor are his threats any good. Stand up for yourself.'

"I want to," Kenny said.

'Then do it! Stop saying that you want to and do something about it. You're not as helpless as you believe you are. I know that you're stronger than him, and can overcome this hurtle, just believe in yourself.'

"I...I want..."

'You don't want anything boy! You keep listening to them and you will never see your mother again!' growled the voice. 'I can make you go to hell when you die, and then you will never again be held by your mother!'

"Tala..." Kenny whimpered. "I...I don't know..."

'Are you going to listen to threats from someone that has no more power to control things like that than I do? There's a lot of things I won't be able to do, or promise to do, but I can make this promise, I would never lead you the wrong way.' Tala's voice said over the growl of the other voice.

"I..."

'Shut your mouth boy!' the voice sneered.

'Say it Kenny.' Tala's voice said soothingly. 'He can't control you now.'

"I...I want..."

'I will kill you next time when you go to sleep, you better not say it boy.' The voice grew louder, but Kenny could still hear Tala's voice over it. Calmly telling him that he could do it, that he had nothing to be afraid of.

"I...I want to..." Kenny whispered. "I want to...I want to see you..." And there it was, finally out in the open. He finally was able to say it. After all the effort sent in dissuading him, he finally said it. The growling voice faded to the back of his mind, the threats that were thrown at him unfulfilled. Yet, he said it, the thing that has been on his mind since that talk he had with the red haired teen. Since Tala said he liked Kenny.

The brunette wanted to know why. Why he cared so much about someone that he hardly knew? Why he could just shrug off things and still want to see him? Why Kenny wanted to see him again. Why the very thought of it sent an unfamiliar rush through him. Was this...was this feeling he was it possibly be love? The only other person he ever felt anything close to this with was Tyson. Of course that didn't last too long, and unless he figured out about Tala...but the thing is whether or not he really wanted Tala to mean more to him than just someone there to listen to him.

Whether he wanted to rely on Tala and his words to soothe the pain that Kenny increasingly felt all the time. Whether or not he really wanted to lay his trust down and stand back to see if it would once more be betrayed. Doubt, along with hope arose within the brunette at his increasingly complex situation. Many things swirled through Kenny's head as he finally slid off the bed to the phone near the door. There was only one way to find out the answers he wanted.

* * *

Kai's eyes fluttered open, hearing the ring of the phone beside the bed. Looking at the clock on the nightstand, he frowned slightly. Was it really already close to twelve already? He didn't even remember dozing off beside Tyson so his lover would be able to sleep. Looking down, he found that Tyson was still clinging to his shirt, but he was sound asleep, a change from the restless tossing and turning for the past couple of nights. Slowly moving to sit up, he reached for the phone.

"Hello?" Kai said, once the receiver was to his ear.

"Kai," came a soft whisper.

"Kenny?" Kai said, worried that Kenny might try something. "Is something wrong?"

"Kai...I...I got to thinking," Kenny replied.

"Thinking? About what?" There was a long pause before Kenny started again, as if he was contemplating saying more out loud. "Kenny?"

"I got to thinking about a lot of things. Not just me either. Kai...is it true what Tala said? About your family?" Kenny inquired.

The bitter taste again washed into Kai's mouth thinking about his parents and what his grandfather did. He still hated the man for everything, yet knew it would do no good to stand against the man on that subject. He had no evidence, but his own testimony for those many years ago, which would not stand up in court. His lawyer would find some way to say that he fabricated the story because of some grudge against the old man. The only thing he could do was live to make them proud.

"Yes Kenny, it's true about my parents. About my grandfather taking them away from me, for taking away my freedom, my childhood, and the warmth I've been without for so long, all for the purpose to be his perfect grandson. To obey him without questioning his words, to carry out his plans, sacrificing everything for what he wanted," Kai said quietly. "I know what it's like to reach out, touching just the surface but never breaking through."

"Did you...ever think about...?"

"Killing myself? There were plenty of times that I thought about just ending it," Kai said.

"What stopped you from doing it?"

A smile rose to Kai's lips thinking back to all the times back at the abbey or when his grandfather allowed him to return to the mansion when he thought about how easy to would be to die. "A certain red haired captain of a certain team."

"Tala...?"

"I suppose you can say that his pain, what his stepfather did made him wiser than most to that sort of thing. He would always scoff and tell me that I was nothing but a coward for it. That if I had the balls to kill myself, I should have more balls to live and make my own path. He was always saying that."

"I..."

"You know," Kai interrupted Kenny's sentence, knowing what he might say. Kenny had to hear this part before he figured that Tala was unaffected by the events in his life. "I don't think he was just telling me that. I believe he had to keep saying it so he would believe it too. After...things, he was severely depressed and once or twice, when he thought no one knew, he would hurt himself to keep from crying and feeling that pain. To remember why he was fighting to stay alive."

"Hurt himself...?"

"Nothing serious, just to remember that he could live and get over any pain thrown at him in life. He holds it inside, yet uses it to fuel the direction of his life. He refuses to let the past hold him down," Kai said.

"I see," Kenny replied, silence again residing between them before Kenny spoke again. "Kai, will you and the others really...can you really...?"

"Stand by you no matter what?" Kai finished the sentence.

"Yes. Would you really do that, even if I wanted to kill myself again? Kenny thought it was wasteful that someone would do that. He couldn't imagine himself doing that for anyone else, but of course his opinion had been twisted by the many years that his father has beat and put him down.

"Of course we would. You shouldn't ask that question," Kai said.

"Why?"

"Because you're a part of this team regardless. And because you're a part of this team, we can't let you give up on yourself. Things just wouldn't feel right," Kai admitted. "I know it sounds like something that Tyson would say, but...I want you to know that each one of you have changed my life. And..." There was a pause in Kai's voice.

"Kai..."

"Next to Tyson, I think I care about you more than the others. I want to protect you and help you keep walking. Neither one of us had our parents nor someone special to our hearts to lean on when we wanted to cry. We've kept it inside. What I'm trying to say is that...you're like a younger brother for me. Someone that you can come to if you want to talk. I don't want you to hurt, Kenny," Kai replied.

"I don't want to hurt either, but it is there, that pain," Kenny said. "Everything is there, eating at me and I can't stop it no matter what. I still can't believe that anyone can help me."

"Is that why you called?" Kai said softly. "Or, is it that you're starting to want someone to prove you wrong, that you can stop hurting?" Kenny fell silent, knowing that it was true. The reason he called Kai was to find a way to prove he was wrong. To figure out this whole mess of vines tangling him inside his brain, wasn't that the reason he fought against the voice this time? Wasn't that the reason he wanted to see Tala?

"I...he told me Kai...that he would listen to me," Kenny blurted out.

"Tala?" Kai inquired.

"He said that if I ever wanted to let someone know how I felt, that I could tell him. He told me that he liked me a lot Kai. That he wanted to see me again."

"I see, so I'm guessing that you want to see him to figure out why and how you feel about him?" Kai asked.

"I..."

"You don't have to tell me. Tomorrow morning I will get up and go to the abbey to get him for you, okay," Kai said with a short smile that felt like centuries since he last had one grace his lips. "I can understand that you might feel more comfortable talking with someone else before the rest of us."

"Kai..." Kenny hesitated. "Why..."

"Why what?"

"Why would he love me? I don't understand it I haven't been able to figure that out since he first told me. Why would anyone...?"

"Because you're a beautiful, and smart person," Kai countered. "You can't keep putting yourself down. You have to shake off things and step forward. Tala probably loves you because...well...with him, it's hard to tell. You'll just have to ask him that question tomorrow."

"I see." There was another long pause as Kenny thought about something, then spoke up again. "Kai...I want...I...I...I want to thank you. For what you've done for me so far."

"I told you Kenny, you're like a brother to me. I will do anything I can for you, all you have to do is ask," Kai said. "Now you should get some sleep, okay."

"Okay..."

"Night Kenny," Kai said.

There was a brief pause before Kai heard the changing note in Kenny's voice. "Good night ani (elder or big brother)." Kai felt another smile tug at the corners of his mouth as he hung up the phone. Leaning back down, he realized that slowly, Kenny was opening up. All those years his father dragged him deeper into the darkness was fading. All thanks to Tala of all people.

"I suppose...I won't have to worry as much as I have been. He's slowly falling for Tala. This might just be what he needs in his life. Someone as stubborn and insightful as that idiot," Kai murmured as he let his eyes close to go back to sleep. This probably being the first night he wouldn't wake in a cold sweat. Tomorrow might definitely have break through.

* * *

Okay, that's it. I'm done! I have nothing left to give for this chapter! Um...I guess I should try to squeeze another story out of my brain now. Until next time!


	12. Promises

Rimnerel: Well, okay, we're coming down to the final three chapters, of Scars after this one. I would like to thank everyone for the reviews and this chapter will have some breakthrough. I hope everyone enjoys!

--------------ooooo----------------

Tala didn't know when he drifted off to sleep that night, but he sure as hell was going to kill the person that was knocking on the door of the room he shared with the other Demolition Boys. Trying to turn over and go back to sleep, he found it quite impossible with the rapping on the door. Cracking an eye open, he scowled as he checked the time on his small alarm clock.

Eight in the morning...who the hell was up this early that didn't have to train? The only reason that he was sleep asleep eight in the morning was the fact he mumbled about feeling like he was coming down with something before turning over and going back to sleep. The others knew not to bother him, and if he really was going to train whether or not he was sick, was if Boris came up and hauled him out of bed. The director of the abbey failed to show yet when his teammates had gone out to train six this morning.

Grumbling and muttering to himself, Tala got out of the bed, shuffling over to the door that was still being rapped on. "I swear...it better be either God or Boris, or I'm going to beat the hell out of someone." Throwing open the door, Tala scowled at the figure in front of him.

"Always wake up like that, Ivanov?" Kai inquired, arching a brow at the other teen.

"What do you want?" Tala mimicked the action. "Eight in the morning no less."

"I came playing errand boy. My little brother wants to see you," Kai said, which of course caused Tala to blink. Being that Kai was an only child and there was never talk he had a younger brother stashed away that knew Tala.

"Care to explain that a little more clearly Hiwatari?" Tala said, moving out the way to let the dual haired teen in the room. The last thing he wanted was someone to find him up out of bed when he distinctly was supposed to be sick. "Now that I think about it, how the hell did you get in without the guards noticing and alerting Boris?"

"The same way you get out when you don't feel like being bothered with Boris. Climb the way to the tree, which leads to the window ledge by the window in the hallway. Forgot I was the one that showed you when we were younger?" Kai gave the other a half grin.

"Okay, that answers that question, now the other question. When the hell did you get a brother that wants to see me?" Tala replied.

"Idiot, you know I'm an only child. The brother I'm talking about isn't related to me by blood. He's more like an adopted brother. A certain one of my teammates in fact."

"You mean..." Tala turned around to stare at Kai who only nodded in response to what Tala was about to say. "Are you positive that he wants to see me?"

"You're the only Tala that I know. I doubt that he meant any other Tala when he called me from the hospital last night. So get dressed, we're going to the hospital to fulfill his wish," Kai stated.

"Kai...you better not to jerking me off," Tala said one last time as he went to the bathroom that he and the other Demolition Boys shared. Closing the door, Kai heard the sound of running water for a long minute before Tala popped his head out from the door and looked at Kai. "Mind tossing me a clean pair of underwear, third drawer on the left hand side."

Kai walked over to the dresser that the four members of the Demolition Boys shared along with the same chiffonier, and opened the third drawer on the left, pulling out a pair of dark blue boxers. Walking over to the bathroom door, Kai gave the undergarment to the red head.

"Thanks." Popping back in the bathroom, Kai awaited Tala's reappearance in the room, thinking about a couple of things he wanted to discuss with the red headed captain of the Demolition Boys team.

It was almost a minute before the door to the bathroom swung open, and Tala walked out. Walking over to the bed, he reached for the shirt at the end of his bed. Pulling it on, the red head turned back to the dual haired teen staring at him.

"I see you're still a bit shocked about me coming, well for the last time it's true. What other explanation is there for me hanging from window ledges to come get you then?" Kai said, indicating to the Tala's body language while crossing his arms over his chest. "It's not like I'm that eager to kidnap you from this place. I can understand how hard it is for you to believe it, but it's true."

"So, he was finally able to stop listening to that voice in his head in order to finally tell someone what he wanted," Tala murmured more to himself than Kai. Maybe he was going to be fine after all. Tala just couldn't believe that Kenny had told Kai he wanted to see Tala again. He figured that he would have to go back and see the brunette on his own, but no...Kenny surprised him.

Tala was both nervous and excited to see what this new disposition would bring. Kenny proved that if he tried hard enough, he could overcome that despairing voice in this head. But for how long were things going to be like this before he crawled back into his isolated shell away from everyone? How long was he going to allow someone to be there for him before he decided that there was nothing he would be able to do with his life, and try to end things again?

"You're hopeful too I see," Kai said, breaking into Tala's thoughts. "I'm wondering myself how long will he try to seek our help before he draws back into his shell."

"It's hard to say. He's lived liked a caged bird for so long, I doubt that he knows how to flap his wings on his own. Nobody was there to tell him how," Tala said, buckling the belt on his pants before going to get his socks and shoes.

"You know...he wants someone to be there to prove him wrong. He doesn't want to hurt yet he doesn't know how to stop the pain. He wants someone to prove him wrong by opening his heart and caring for it. And...he chose you to do so," Kai said. "The way he said it last night, you could hear it when he spoke."

"Are you certain that he wants me to—"Tala started.

"You may not notice it, but he's falling in love with you subconsciously. You're the first person to see past the mask, to hold out your hand to guide him," Kai interrupted. "He needs you as much as you probably need him. I know that you may be over what your stepfather did to you, but there's a part of you that's lonely. I think he could fill that space in your heart, vice versa with him."

"Maybe that's true," Tala voiced. "It has been a long time since I've wanted to really open up to someone. So, he asked about it huh?"

"Well it was more he asked me about what my grandfather did. I told him about knowing how he felt and how you always stopped me from disappearing from this world prematurely. I didn't tell him everything. I think that's up to you whether or not he should know about your moment of weakness."

Tala was silent, thinking about when he was seven and he faked an injury to go to the medical ward of the abbey. Back then, he hide from his pain, much like Kenny did. When he got there from the supposed twisted ankle, he waited until the doctor left to go report to Boris the seriousness of the injury before he broke into the supply of medicine and overdosed. Luckily, the doctor returned just in time before his nervous system shut down completely.

Tala thinks the real reason he didn't die was because he saw his mother while he was tottering on the lines between life and death. He remembered her touching his head lightly, a warm smile on her face like when she was alive before telling him it wasn't his time to go. That there would be a time when his strength would be needed by those around him to grow stronger and live, he figured this was the time he was talking about.

"I will tell him myself and the reason that I moved on," Tala nodded. "And now that I think about it, I regret trying to make such a selfish decision. If I had died...I don't think anyone would have seen his pain until it was too late."

"I think you're so right about that. Your mother knew what she was doing when she sent you back. I think she had a talk with Kenny's mother and knew that one day, you two would meet up and fill that gap left behind with their passing. Maybe...my parents joined in that conversation," Kai mused.

"Maybe. One day we'll be able to find out," Tala said. "So, are we ready to get going?" Tala had by now, put on his shoes and socks, and was now brushing his hair into place. Most of the time when he slept, his hair fell out of place, causing him to brush it back up in the mornings. It was right after his stepfather dropped him off at the abbey that he began doing his hair this way.

The others teased him about looking like he had a pair of wings on the sides of his head...but in a way, it symbolized the bird he wanted to be. The need to fly away from his life and escape what he went through. Now...it was just his very own fashion statement.

"Yeah, we should. Just one more question before we go," Kai said.

"Okay, what is it?" Tala inquired with an arched brow. Kai stared the other right in the eyes, auburn confronting azure before Kai broke the gaze to look out the window.

"He wanted to know why you were in love with him. I couldn't give him an answer, so I want to ask you personally before we left."

"Are you afraid I might hurt him?" Tala inquired softly.

"No, I'm not afraid of that. I know you won't. But...I was just wondering myself. I don't want to sound as if I don't approve."

"It's just that he's like a younger brother for you, and you want to make sure that I will keep loving him even after his pain has healed," Tala suggested. "I understand. I love him not just because he's a beautiful person. To me, he's an angel who has suffered so much. I want to heal that yes, but I love him because I doubt any other person could make me feel as light headed as he can. It's hard to explain...but...I never want to leave his side for anything."

"Then I suppose there's no need to worry," Kai said, walking to the door. "He's going to be fine in your care. And I'm sure that soon, he will be able to turn to the others and allow them to know the whole story, to understand the pain he carries."

--------oooo--------

Kenny sat in a chair in the patient cafeteria eating some oatmeal. Since he was able to stand up and walk around by himself without any help, he was allowed to do a little bit of walking around the hospital. But only under the supervision of one other person, that person for the moment was Judy Tate, Max's mom. She carefully watched him for any signs that he might relapse back into a coma or fatigue, but so far, he was doing fine.

"Still feeling okay?" Judy questioned the young man for the fourth time since they arrived in the cafeteria when Kenny stated he wanted something other than the bland soup he had eaten for breakfast the previous day. Her blue eyes watched as he put a little more honey and sugar in the hot cereal.

"I'm fine Judy," Kenny replied, looking up at the woman. "I'm not going to collapse on the floor at any moment, nor am I going to try to bludgeon myself with the spoon and bowl." He watched a rose tint color her cheeks as she looked down.

"I'm sorry...I'm probably worrying about you like I would Max," Judy apologized.

"Don't worry about it," Kenny said. "I understand that you're worried about me, but I'm not going to run away again."

"That's finally something that I've wanted to hear from you," a light and all too familiar voice cut into the conversation. Both Judy and Kenny looked up to find Tala and Kai walking towards the table the two sat at. "It's nice to see you up and walking around also."

"We would have been here sooner if a certain someone didn't nearly almost kill themselves jumping from a window ledge to a tree branch," Kai said, a light smile on his lips as he cut Tala a short look. Tala of course was paying him no attention, his eyes stuck on the brunette. If Kai wasn't mistaken, there was excitement dancing within Tala's azure eyes. "Judy, do you know where Mr. Dickenson is?"

"Um...I think he's with Bruce," Judy said.

"Mind taking me to them?" Kai asked, giving her a look to leave Kenny with Tala.

"Um...okay." The woman got up from the table, a little bit uneasy leaving Kenny without proper supervision, but followed Kai out of the cafeteria until they were out of earshot from the two. "Do you really think that it's a good idea to leave him alone with Tala, Kai?"

"I wouldn't have brought him to the hospital if it was a bad idea," Kai simply said. "Kenny called me last night and asked me to bring Tala to the hospital. There are a lot of things he wants to ask Tala, and this just may be the step ahead that we need for him to get over the pain in his heart."

"He trusts Tala?" Judy inquired as if it was the greatest discovery in the history of mankind's creation.

"Tala isn't as bad as you think he is. In fact, I'm sure he's going to be the one that will open up Kenny's heart and get it to remain open. I think we should leave them to talk. Tala will make sure that nothing happens to Kenny," Kai advised.

"If you trusts him that much, then I suppose it's okay."

Meanwhile back with Tala and Kenny, the two sat in silence for some minutes, Kenny quietly eating his oatmeal or rather nibbling the hot oatmeal, Tala watching the action. Finally, Tala grabbed the spoon from the brunette and blew on the hot cereal. Once he was certain the temperature had dropped, he moved the spoon towards Kenny's mouth.

"Open your mouth, it's cool now."

"I can feed myself," Kenny protested, as a light flush crossed Kenny's cheeks.

"I can feed myself too, but you're not really eating it. If you want to leave the hospital and get better, regaining your strength is the first step. And I'm going to help you with that process, now open your mouth, or I can get it in you another way," Tala grinned.

"Another way?" Kenny frowned, staring at the red head. "How?"

"This way," Tala said simply as he put the spoonful of food in his mouth and before Kenny could blink, Tala had leaned over and kissed him, transferring the food between them. When all the food was gone, Tala pulled with a grin before licking his lips. Kenny on the other hand was bright red. "Now, which way do you prefer? I can do it that way as long as it takes to get you to eat this whole bowl."

"You idiot!" Kenny shouted, but a part of him was just a little bit excited. "I should dump this entire bowl on your head."

"Then you'll have to lick it off me," Tala's voice lowered into a silky tone. "I really wouldn't mind that either."

The crimson streak running rampant across Kenny's face broadened. Shifting his eyes from the red head, he set his mouth into a frown he really didn't feel. "I don't know why I asked Kai to bring an idiot like you here. All you do is taunt me."

"But I know you really like it, because you would have dumped the bowl on my head by now and walked out," Tala grinned, seeing that Kenny's body language had not become tense on him.

"Maybe I should have," Kenny voiced.

"But you wouldn't," Tala countered.

"Why did you come anyway?" Kenny shifted his eyes back to the older teen.

"Because you wanted to see me, and I wanted to see you. I'm happy that you told him, Kenny. I really didn't know if you..."

"Tala..." Kenny interrupted. "I asked Kai last night why you loved me so much. I want to know how could you love me so much when you hardly know anything about me. How can you just give me your heart and expect that I don't damage it? I want to know...I want to know everything about you." Kenny turned his eyes back to Tala, his eyes shimmering with confused tears.

"Because I doubt that I was meant for anyone else but you, my fragile glass spun angel," Tala whispered softly as he used his thumb to brush away the tears. "I think it was fate that we met in that park, that we both understood the pain that those who were suppose to love us caused."

"Fate?" Kenny looked up at Tala, finding a light smile gracing his lips.

"Yes. I think it was fated long before we met each other. I was seven at the time. I'm sure Kai told you about how I was. Well...he didn't tell you, I tried disappearing much like you. I faked an injury to go to the medical ward of the abbey. When the doctor left to report in to Boris about my condition, I broke into the medical cabinets and overdosed on the pills inside."

"I...did...didn't know..."

"Kai felt it best that I tell you this story," Tala said, placing the spoon back in the oatmeal. "After I overdosed and I was about to die, my mother came to me and told me I had to live. That there would be someone who needed my strength in order for them to live on in this world, I think that person is you, Kenny."

"How can you believe that?" Kenny questioned. "It's just coincidence that we met and..."

"I don't think so," Tala cut the younger off. "If I had died back then...you wouldn't be alive now, thinking that there was a way you can break free from your father's hold on you. You would have died in that park that night I found you. And, the others would be suffering a great pain. I think that this was no coincidence."

Kenny was silent, thinking about what Tala said. Could they really be fated? Up until now, no one had ever made him rebel against the malevolent voice, which screeched out threats and taunts. Even now, he failed to hear the growling or curses. It was as if Tala's very presence dispelled it from his mind. For the first time since his mother was alive, Kenny felt safe, and it was all thanks to Tala.

"I don't hear the voice right now, I don't feel like hiding away, and the pain in my chest isn't there. It's like it was never there," Kenny spoke. "I think it's because you're here with me."

"I'm glad." Tala ran his hand lightly through Kenny's hair, watching Kenny close his eyes and revel in the touch. The brunette was like an affection-starved puppy whose previous master had abused it so bad, that no one could do a thing with it. That was until now when the right set of hands were able to calm the mistrust settled within the heart for so long. "Kenny, are you ready to tell me everything?"

"Not yet," Kenny whispered.

"Do you want to show me what he did?" Tala leaned in close as he continued to let his hand glide over Kenny's face until it rested under his chin.

"Not yet," Kenny shook his head. His heart pounding in his chest as he felt his chin lifted up. Opening his eyes just a little, he found Tala staring down at him reflectively.

"Then tell me."

"Stay...don't leave me ever...please," whispered Kenny, his voice like a small child waking up from a nightmare. And in a way, he was. A lost soul that was slowly coming around from a fear that gripped him in an invisible web of suffering. Leaning down to kiss Kenny on the forehead, Tala nodded.

"I promise."

--------------ooooooo----------------

Rimnerel: Yeah! I finally got this chapter done and out of the way! All right people, three more chapters until this story ends. What do I have planned for Kenny now? And what about the other Bladebreakers? And can Kenny tell about his past? Be prepared, the last three chapters are going to tell all those things.


	13. Wings

Rim: Well, let's see, my mom has me waiting for the stupid people to bring a washing machine, and it's now twelve in the afternoon...what more can I say. Well, now that I have that out of the way, let's get on with the next chapter of Scars. Two more chapters after this one and then the big finale! Let's not waste anymore time, thanks everyone for enjoying the last chapter and on to the new one!

--------------------oooooooo------------------

Kai leaned against the wall, while he listened to what Judy, Bruce, and Mr. Dickenson said to him. They had yet begun to trust Tala, as if he was plotting something big by Boris and Voltaire. Kai of course kept reassuring them that the only thing Tala was interested in was Kenny's well being and recovery. For some reason, over the course of the past three days since Tala had regularly started coming to the hospital early in the mornings and leaving late in the evening, the three adults kept a cautious eye out. Kai's words not sinking in quite yet.

Looking up from behind his silvery bangs, Kai let his fiery shift over each one of them before holding up his hand. "I can understand your concerns, but like I said three days ago, there's no harm. Haven't you noticed how much more responsive Kenny's being now that Tala spends time here?"

"But..." Bruce started.

"Even the doctors say that his recovery from the state he was in to now is remarkable. All of which we have Tala to thank for it. I understand that you only want to safeguard Kenny's concern, but he's going to be fine. He's finally found someone he wants to place his trust in, let's not step in the way of that," Kai interrupted.

"It's just that...it's still hard for us to accept that Tala can...is..." Judy tried to find the words for it, but everything she thought of sounded horrible.

"Nobody that goes into the abbey is a bad person. Over time, it's the amount of abuse and neglect that you suffer that turns you cold. Believe me, Tala was never a bad person, he just had to play along with all of Boris's plans because he had no where to go, like everyone there." Kai turned his head towards the window, staring out at the snow covered rooftops.

Back at the abbey, Kai and Tala probably ended up the only people that trusted each other as much. When Tala first came to the abbey, Kai was the one that befriended the red head, showing him around and familiarizing him with things. Over time, though, Boris saw their friendship as a block for his plans, and somehow for a while, turned the two against one another. But things were becoming stable between them again. Tala confided in Kai like when they were kids, and Kai would listen as always.

"You know what he told me, the drugs that they pumped into his system before the Tournament Finals with Tyson made him begin to question what he was doing. Eventually, he won out over the mind control they placed on him and let Tyson win that final battle on purpose. He's planning to leave the abbey after Kenny gets better. He's tired of following along with Boris's ideas."

"Can we really trust that?" Mr. Dickenson inquired.

"I know him better than almost anyone else you can trust everything he says. Or rather what I say about him. You have nothing to worry about, just try to be thankful that someone is reaching Kenny." Before any one of the three adults could say a word, Kai had already pushed himself away from the wall and began walking away to the elevator. Once there, he hit the button, the doors of the elevator opened and he got in.

Pressing the button labeled four, the watched the elevator doors close while he sunk into deep thought. He had to find a way to get the others out of the mood they were in. Tyson was just beginning to eat again, and Max was still learning to smile again. Rei for the most part was trying to get the other two right-side up, but nothing worked. Kai had a feeling it wouldn't be until Kenny reached out to them that they would be themselves again.

But who knew how long that would take. Kenny was just being to trust Kai as he did Tala, but the full story of what happened to him was still a secret. When Kai confronted Tala with that particular subject, all the red head could do was shake his head; saying that every time he mentioned something towards the past, Kenny would change the subject or try to regress back into his shell. I would take a lot before the brunette gave away that part of himself to everyone.

"The ultimate sign that he will be able to move on," Kai muttered to himself as he heard the ding of the elevator as he reached his floor. The doors opened, and Kai stepped off, just as a doctor was about to step on.

"Mr. Hiwatari," the doctor said. Looking up, Kai recognized Dr. Kuprin, Kenny's doctor immediately.

"Doctor, I didn't notice you. Are there any changes in Kenny's recovery?" Kai questioned.

"Well, none for the worst. In fact, Mr. Hiwatari, he's recovered faster than most would in his situation. I think it has to do with your red headed friend. That young man is like an angel to him," Doctor Kuprin stated.

"I suppose so. After all, he's been without anyone to rely on for so long. The first person he learns to trust is the first person he will likely let into his heart"

"Yes, that's true."

"May I ask you a question doctor?" Kai looked up at the man with the dark brown eyes. "When do you expect to discharge him from the hospital?"

The doctor felt a smile grow on his face, looking down at the calm young man. Since the whole incident, Doctor Kuprin saw that Kai took this whole whirlwind of events and became a support beam for almost all those around him that knew the hospitalized young man. Doctor Kuprin was indeed impressed, but also slightly curious to what sort of hardships this dual haired teen went through to allow him to take such a drastic situation calmly.

"I was just coming down to tell you that it is okay for you to take him home today. His rehabilitation will probably go more smoothly if he's around others he knows. I have no reason to believe he will relapse. You can tell him the good news. I will go tell the others." The doctor pressed the button to make the elevator open and stepped on. Kai watched the doors close before he headed to the hospital room, a smile curling his lips up. This was a big step for everyone involved, but mostly Kenny.

Kai wondered as he reached for the doorknob how things were going to be now that he would no longer be in the hospital. Hopefully he had come along far enough to not regress back. Turning the knob, Kai pushed open the door. The smile on his face actually grew warmer as he quietly watched Tala holding a sleepy looking Kenny in his arms, the red head stroking his hair gently. With a short knock, he caught the attention of both young men.

"Kai," Kenny said softly, continuing to allow Tala to stroke his hair.

"How do you feel today?" Kai inquired.

"I'm fine," Kenny replied.

"That's a good thing," Kai nodded. "I just spoke with the doctor today, and he said that you're recovering nicely. So, he's allowing us to take you back to the hotel. There's no need to stay at the hospital now."

"I..." A look of fear entered Kenny's eyes as he stared at Kai momentarily. "I can't..."

"And why not?" Tala questioned. "This is what we've been working on since you woke up."

"I don't want to...they're going to hate me...and you're going to leave me," Kenny said. "I don't want you to leave me. Please, don't let me leave here."

"Kenny...Tyson, Max, and Rei don't hate you. And just because you're being discharged from the hospital does not mean that Tala is going to leave you. I'm sure that this idiot will end up spending the night now," Kenny assured.

"It's not like you will be able to kick me out," Tala grinned. Wrapping his arms around Kenny, he kissed the brunette on the top of the head. "I would never try to leave you, so you have nothing to worry about."

"But what about the others?" Kenny argued. "They have to hate me for this, because they haven't been back to see me."

"Not true. They're trying to give you space so you will be comfortable around them. They miss you a lot. And need you to be better. You can see it in Tyson's eyes, Max's eyes, and Rei's eyes," Kai stated.

"But..." Kenny started. Kenny bit his bottom lip, looking up at Tala, then back at Kai. He was afraid to find out if his friends hate him. He would not be able to take it. All these days he's spent in Tala's company made him realize that eventually he would have to confront things. Eventually, he would have to let someone in, and trust again, if he was hoping to not disappear from this world. In the past few days, he gained a courage he did not know still existed in his heart. He had a feeling it was due to Tala's guidance.

"We're both going to be right here for you," Tala assured. "Neither Kai nor myself will allow you to go through this alone. Trust us, okay?"

"I..." Kenny nibbled at his bottom lip, thinking things over. Finally, he nodded his head in agreement. He just hoped that it was true about them being there for him.

-----------oooo-----------

Kai stared at the three individuals standing in front of him then gave a short sigh. They really weren't about to make Kenny feel any better about things with the way they looked. The only one that seemed to have it a little bit together would be Rei. Who currently had his arms wrapped around Max. Max was looking down at the floor, the sparkle in his blue eyes completely gone, leaving his eyes blank and blurry. Tyson's eyes gave no exact aim as they roamed over many objects.

"You really are the picture of happiness, aren't you three?" Kai could not help but let the sarcasm color his words. They could at least try to smile when Tala brought Kenny up from the hotel lobby. "This is Kenny's first day out of the hospital and he comes back to you three looking like zombies, try to liven up for him."

Max paid no attention to the words, or at least seemed not to. Rei stared at Kai briefly before turning his eyes back on his love. Tyson was the only one that eventually made the effort to answer Kai. His blue eyes seemed to hurt more than the others. Kai had to remember that before he met Tyson and the others, Tyson knew Kenny first, so it must be harder on him than anyone else to have to face Kenny after the incident in the hospital.

"Kai..." Tyson said quietly.

"Yes Tyson?" Kai replied.

"Is it true...? Is it true that he's okay enough to come home? Please tell me that we won't find him dead in his room or somewhere tomorrow morning. I would never..." Tyson's eyes tear up at the very thought of what Kenny told him days ago. He would never be able to take it.

Kai walked up to Tyson, wrapping his arms around the blue haired younger teen. "He's doing better than when we first started out. It's going to take a little more work for him to open up to us all the way."

"Will his smiles...will they still look so hollow and empty? Will his eyes look so dead and depressing?"

"No, they will be looking to see if you three can accept him again. Max...Rei...at least look at him when he comes. Try to show him that we're behind him and will be there for him," Kai said just as there was a knock on the hotel door. Letting go of Tyson, he gave them one more look before walking over to door. Opening the door, he moved out of the way as Tala walked into the room, Kenny following him quietly. Once the two were in the room, Kai close the door and turned to everyone.

"Rei...Max...Tyson...hi." Kenny was hesitant to say anything to them. They didn't look like the same people he traveled through the months with to get to Russia. Max's eyes had lost their sparkle, the sparkle that never extinguished once in all rough battles he had during the championships. Even the usual reflective and calm Rei seemed to have left in his absence. And Tyson...there was too many things about Tyson, Kenny noticed.

He had once been in love with the blue haired teen after all. Once? Why was he thinking once now? Didn't he still love Tyson despite his friend being involved with Kai? Was it it be because Tala was there for him? Did that mean that he loved Tala now? Had his feelings for Tyson finally subsided, in order to focus on this new love, or whatever it was that Tala insisted it was?

"Kenny...it's really good to see you," Tyson finally said after a long pause of silence. A smile tried to rise to his lips, but it faulted after a few tries.

"It's okay Tyson you don't have to smile if you don't want to. I understand," Kenny replied softly.

"Kenny...are you really okay?" Max looked up at Kenny, searching over the brunette for any sign of deception in what Kai told them.

"I'm okay enough to come home, I suppose..." Kenny answered Max's question.

"Oh..." Max lowered his eyes from Kenny. Kenny could tell that they were uncomfortable around him. He knew and understood that they didn't want to deal with him because of his situation.

"I'm going to my room now. I should rest up some more." Kenny was already walking down the hall before Kai or Tala could say a word. Hearing the door close from down the hall, both teens let out a sigh, then stared at the three younger teens.

"That went about as well as a snowball making it to hell and not melting," Tala voiced. "I guess it counts to say that they tried."

"They didn't try hard enough. Do you know that he was hoping you three would support him when he came back? He was afraid to come back because he figured you hated him, since you haven't come to the hospital since that day," Kai stated. "He wants to reach out to you, but you have to make the effort to reach out to him."

"I'll go find out if he's all right." Tala left the room, walking down the hall to the door that was closed and knocked on it. "Kenny."

"Go away," Kenny whimpered.

"Open the door," Tala said.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want you to cry, I want to talk to you, so open the door," Tala said.

"Just go away and leave me alone," Kenny sniffed. "I told you they didn't care if I was better or not. They hate me, I just know it. I want to go back to the hospital."

"You're not going back to the hospital, you're going to stay right here and recover you understand me." Tala reached for the doorknob and tried to turn it. To his surprise, it opened. Pushing the door open, he found Kenny curled up on the bed, tears trickling down his face into the pillow. Lifting his face up, he looked at where Tala stood in the doorway.

"Please, just take me back to the hospital," Kenny pleaded.

"No." Tala walked into the room and closed the door behind him. Walking to the bed, Tala sat on the edge, staring at his fallen angel whose heart continued to bleed with pain. "You can't run away, remember what I told you."

"But they hate me, how can I try if they hate me?" Kenny whispered.

"They don't hate you," Tala assured.

"Yes they do, I know they do."

"Stop saying that. It's not true. What do they have to hate you for? Honestly, I want to know because I don't see it," Tala said.

"They hate me because I'm like this, because I tried to kill myself," Kenny sniffed, the tears trickling down his face. "I lied to them about who I was I never showed them who I really was underneath. I wanted them to like me...I needed..."

"They don't hate you. They wouldn't still be here if they hated you. They're afraid of losing you for good. They need you to be better just as much as Kai and me. So get better for them." Tala leaned down and kissed away the tears that fell. Once finished, he pulled back, smiling down at the brunette. A light rose tint colored Kenny's cheeks as he stared up into Tala's eyes, the brunette bangs falling away to reveal misty blue eyes.

"How do you know? How can you tell?"

"Because, they're your friends," Tala said simply. "I doubt that if they weren't your friends, they would have cried for you, or even bothered to find out why you did it. Or even bothered saving you."

"Do you really know that for sure? Maybe they didn't want to have it on their conscious," Kenny voiced.

"Stop being so pessimistic, the first people to care about you in your life are not going to be the types to turn their backs on you. I'm not going back on my word, Kai's not going back on his word, and your friends are not going to go back on their word. Just tell them what they need to know," Tala stated.

"Tell them what they need to know...you mean...my past?"

"They need to know the truth, yes. Every piece of it, and I know once they hear it, they would never just walk away. But you have to want to tell them of your own free will. Your father can't take this from you anymore, this life you have. Just remember that."

"Tala, tell me why?" Kenny said, staring up at the red haired Russian.

"What do you mean why, Kenny?" Tala inquired.

"Why are you here telling me this? Why do you give me this advice without wanting something in return? I still haven't figured any of it out."

"I am getting something in return. I'm seeing you open your wings again to trust and smile. To live the way you were suppose to. The reason I'm here is because I love you. Now stop asking idiot questions you know answers to," Tala teased lightly.

"Tala..." Kenny thought he finally understood and in return, he figured it couldn't be so bad. This thing called love didn't hurt like he expected it to.

"Yes, what is it?" Tala inquired.

"I'll spread my wings once more for you," Kenny whispered. With saying another word, Kenny sat up and lifted the helm of his shirt. Pulling the shirt over his head, he dropped the discarded item on the bed. Turning his head away, he expected a gasp of surprise or horror...maybe even disgust to finally come to closure about Tala. But there was just silence. He could feel Tala's eyes on him, covering every inch of his upper body.

Kenny's breath hitched when he felt the cool touch on the beginning of his scar. Turning his head back, he watched Tala's eyes continue to study the scar, while moving his hand down the scar's path. Kenny felt a shiver travel down his spine towards Tala's touch. Something unfurled from him that reveled at the hand against his skin. Kenny closed his eyes, continuing to allow Tala to do what he wanted. Finally the hand reached the end of its journey and pulled back.

"Tala..." Kenny opened his eyes staring at the azure eyed Russian. He could see anger harden those blue eyes.

"If he wasn't in prison, I would beat the bastard's ass myself. How dare he damage you like this," Tala muttered, pushing Kenny back on the bed and climbing over him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Kenny panicked. Was Tala planning to...? No, he really wouldn't just do something without Kenny's consent. Well...Kenny hoped that he wouldn't no matter how much he might want...no! He couldn't think like that, not at a time like this. His heart beat raced in his chest as he stared up into those dark eyes.

"Hush, don't worry."

"But..." Whatever Kenny was about to say was tossed out the window as a pair of soft lips lightly pressed against his jagged skin. A path of kisses slowly descended the entire length of the scar until Tala came to Kenny's navel.

"I know my kisses can't heal the outside, but maybe I can kiss away the pain you still hold inside. That's what I'm trying to do. Do you want me to continue until it's all gone?" Tala asked, his warm breath hitting Kenny's already heated skin. All Kenny could think to do was nod he doubted a no was going to form.

"Ta...la..." Kenny let out another gasp as Tala continued to place feather light kisses across Kenny's body. His head felt light, as if he wasn't on Earth anymore. He could barely breathe and every time those lips kissed an area, he felt his body lift up into the kiss a little more each time. Eventually those lips found their way upwards until their lips touched.

Dragging out his tongue, Tala managed to slip his way into Kenny's mouth. Not that the brunette was putting up much resistance in the first place. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Kenny's arms found their way to wrap around Tala. When Tala finally moved back, he found they were both panting heavily. Under him Kenny was looking up at him with half lidded eyes filled with amazement.

"I love you no matter what. Your wings are still beautiful," Tala smiled.

"My wings are..." Tears find their way to sting his eyes again as he held onto Tala. "Thank you...but it's only because you made them be again."

"That's the first positive comment you've given me, progress finally," Tala said. "Are you tired of living in the darkness now? Are you ready to show the world how beautiful those wings are?"

"A little at a time," Kenny murmured.

"That's even better," Tala nodded.

"Tala."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you again."

"Thank me with another kiss then," Tala responded, leaning down to kiss Kenny again. Tala had a feeling that their parents could rest from watching over them now. Things would be fine. He had that feeling.

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Rim (yawns): Yes, that's about it. And we're winding down to the final two chapters. I don't have much to say, so I shall go start the next chapter of Sympathy.


	14. Stories

Rim: Hey, the next chapter of Scars, can you believe that we've made it up to chapter fourteen already. Hurrah I say. (looks over at Kai) Well…I guess I don't have much to say, so I guess we should get this chapter started. Thanks to all my reviewers!

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Kai looked up from the paper he was reading in the kitchen to find Tala standing in the doorway wearing only a pair of pants. His hair fell around his shoulders as he stared at Kai, stifling a yawn. Kai didn't say a word momentarily, looking back to his paper. When he was finally finished reading the article, he closed the paper, setting it on the table. Then his eyes went back to Tala, who was seating himself in a chair.

"Is there something you want to tell me, or just that you—?" Kai started.

"Hey, don't take my appearance at face value," Tala interrupted. "No, I did not have sex with him, if that's what you were about to say."

"Okay, so what's with the look then?" Kai got up from his chair, walking over to the stove to pour coffee into a cup that was on the counter. Walking back to the table, the dual haired teen placed the cup down in front of his friend, then sat back down. Tala nodded thanks to the other, and raised the cup to his lips.

"I think that we made some progress last night," Tala said, once sitting his cup on the table. "Damn Kai, do you always drink straight black coffee, I'm going to be wired for hours now. I'm surprised that you aren't bouncing off the walls."

"Sugar and cream on the table," Kai pointed to the bowl on the table and the can of coffee creamer. Getting up, Kai went to the utility drawer, bringing back a spoon. Tala took it then poured sugar into his cup. "And you're a better example because?"

"Okay, back to the point that was making," Tala grinned, waving off the question. Raising the cup back to his lips once he stirred in his sugar, he sat back, staring at Kai. Kai sat looking at the red head with a brow raised. Finally seating his cup down, Tala grinned wider.

"Okay, so what is the point you're making besides making me suspicious that you really did—?"

"Didn't I just tell you that I didn't," Tala interrupted the dual haired teen again.

"Then why are you so happy?" Kai remarked.

"The single greatest reason in the entire world," Tala said.

"I'm sorry if I'm not following you, but what would that be?" Kai said.

"I finally saw his wings," Tala grinned. "He finally trusted me enough to show me the pain he's kept on the inside so long. He told me Kai."

"He told you about his past?" Kai was to say the least shocked. He hadn't expected Kenny to open up to Tala or him anytime in the present. But the red head had yet again gotten through Kenny's defense. That was another step forward that his little brother was taking, and Kai could feel anxiety lift from his shoulders. "And how bad is it?"

"If his father wasn't in prison already, I probably would kill the bastard, Kai," Tala frowned, his eyes darkening with anger, and pain for what that little angel went through. "He told me that after his mother's funeral, his father beat him. That it was the first time he was ever hit. He's had it just as bad as both of us, which I can understand how's afraid to trust, or even love again."

"It's never easy, especially when the one that hurt you, that crushed your optimism of the world, is someone that you loved more than your life. After you lose that part of you that can trust, it's nearly impossible to regain it without questioning if it will reoccur," Kai shook his head.

"Each story he told me about an instance that he just wanted to die growing up was another second I knew I could never leave him. I love him just that much."

"From what you're telling me, he seems to love you just as much," Kai smiled. "I doubt that the rest of us would be able to get him to open up as he has with you."

"I wouldn't say that. He seems like he trusts you also," Tala countered.

"That may be so, but he's comfortable with you more."

"In truth, I'm more comfortable with you both," a light voice said behind them. The two young men turned around to find the brunette, dressed in Tala's shirt, which looked a size too big for him, standing in the doorway staring at them. For once, his hair was out of his face, revealing his blue eyes.

"You're up, good morning, Kenny," Tala grinned.

"Good morning Tala…Kai…" Kenny blushed, looking down momentarily before walking into the kitchen. Tala watched the brunette pour himself a small cup of coffee, before walking over to the table, where Tala promptly pulled the smaller into his lap. Kenny broke out in a full blush, turning his eyes to Tala.

"How do you feel today, Kenny?" Kai inquired.

"I'm fine, thank you for asking Kai," Kenny said softly. "I suppose that you and Tala were talking about me and what I said last night to him."

"Not on a large scale," Kai remarked. "He was just telling me snippets of what you told him. It's still up to you whether or not you want to tell me."

"I know," Kenny nodded. "And last night while Tala…" Kenny stared down at his hands which turned the cup, while another shade of red colored his cheeks. His eyes went back to Tala, then back down to the cup.

"You lying bastard, you did do something with my younger brother," Kai scolded in a light tone.

"We didn't do that," Kenny said quickly, looking up at Kai. "He…kissed me a lot. And touched me…"

"Hey now, he doesn't need to know all the places I touched you," Tala said, turning Kenny's head towards his, and then leaning in to kiss Kenny, who immediately opened his mouth to allow Tala's access. A smile crossed Tala's lips exploring the brunette's mouth as he had the night before.

"Excuse me, but I'm still here you know," Kai spoke up. Tala pulled back, the smile rising five more centimeters. "You don't want me to kill you today Tala Ivanov."

"You can't kill me, Kenny hasn't unveiled the news that me and him talked about last night," Tala smiled.

"What news?"

"Today, I plan on telling all of you about my past," Kenny spoke up. "I want each one of you to know now."

"I see. Well, I'm sure that the others will be happy to know that," Kai nodded.

"But before he tells them, I'm going to need to go back to the abbey for a change of clothes," Tala stated. Kenny tilted his head to the side to stare at his new love.

"Do you really have to go back?" Kenny questioned. "Can't you just borrow some clothes from Kai and stay here?"

"If I don't Boris will have the police scouring this entire city for me, don't worry, I won't be too long, remember what we talked about. I'm never going to leave your side like that. I can always lie to him and say that I was out training in a secluded area," Tala grinned.

"You really promise to come back?"

"Of course, I'm not going to break that promise to you."

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"Tala Ivanov, you will immediately tell me where you have been?" Boris ordered, or rather shouted while Tala was slipping into a clean pair of pants and a shirt. "Are you listening to me?"

"Yes sir, I am," Tala said, pulling on a clean pair of socks.

"Then answer me," Boris said.

"I just did sir," Tala remarked. Before he knew it, he was being jacked up against the wall by the taller male with piercing grey eyes. Tala did not flinch when he saw the sneer of indignation on the Demolition Boys' owner's face.

"You think you're so smart, don't you Tala?" Boris scoffed. "Have you forgotten how I was the one that took you in after your stepfather shoved you into my custody? It was me you clenched to crying for an hour, shamed that you were nothing but a whore."

"I haven't forgotten, but what you say is not true. I was never ashamed for myself, but for that man that raped me," Tala retorted back.

"Oh, you were?" Boris smirked. "So I suppose trying to commit suicide was for him too? You can't deny what you know I'm saying, can you?"

"The past doesn't control my life. I make my own decisions on what I do and don't," Tala stated. He watched Boris's face turned one shade darker with anger as he raised his hand. If this was what it would take for Boris to leave him alone, then so be it. No matter what, he was going to return to Kenny like he promised; this man wasn't going to stop him.

"Master Boris," one of the guards came into the room, but stopped seeing the scene. Boris turned steely eyes on the guard who paled under the furious stare.

"What do you want?" Boris barked.

"You-you have a call on your private line. Do you want to us to tell them to call you back later?" the guard inquired.

"No, I'll take it." Flinging Tala on the bed face first, he let his anger cool. Tala made no move to get up from the position he was laying in. "Tala, you better thank God for saving your ass, but don't think that you're off the hook just yet. I want to talk to you later this afternoon, do I make myself clear."

"Yes sir," Tala mumbled face down on the bed.

"I want you to look at me and say that," Boris ordered.

Silently, Tala lifted himself up from where he had been flung, his eyes meeting Boris's. "Yes sir." Boris said nothing as he headed out the door. A minute later the other Demolition Boys came in the room with surprised looks on their faces. It really had been a long time since Tala or anyone else back talked Boris, and out of nowhere too. Tala paid the boys no mind as he continued to get dress.

"You really have some balls to do what you did," Ian was the first of the three boys to speak. "What's gotten into you these past few days?"

"Nothing, I've just had things to do," Tala shrugged.

"Things to do huh," Bryan said. "I doubt that completely."

"Going to tell Boris now, Bryan? What I do is my own business. I don't have to explain it to you or him. I have somewhere to be," Tala snapped, his blue eyes turning dark.

"You trust us that little not to tell us what you're doing?" Surprisingly it was Spencer who spoke up, a rare occasion for the much taller blond because he never got involved in someone else's personal business. Tala shot the teen a lot, but Spencer's eyes were neutral, studying Tala calmly. "I suppose you think that we could care less about you, but that's quite the opposite Tala, we've just respected your privacy and waited."

Tala gave the blond a leveled look, knowing that Spencer wasn't going to lie to him, it just wasn't his style. With a defeated sigh, he sat back down on the bed, looking over each one of his teammates who awaited a reason for his recent disappearances during the day. "Okay, fine, I'll tell you. The reason I haven't been around is because I'm helping a friend get through a difficult time in their life."

Both Bryan and Ian frowned, continuing to stare at Tala. Finally Ian spoke up. "You're helping someone out? That's not like you at all. They must be hot looking or great in bed."

"Ian, enough," Spencer said, continuing to keep his eyes on Tala. "We're not going to question Tala's motives for doing what he's doing. I'm sure he has a good enough reason to disobey Boris than that." Ian was about to say something then shut his mouth all together. "Go ahead and go Tala, we'll cover for you."

"Thanks." A smile rose to Tala's lips. Maybe he could actually count on the others for help after all. "I really appreciate what you're doing, and maybe I will tell you about it later." Getting up from the bed he was seated on, Tala headed for the open window. With a final look towards his team, he slipped out the window and onto the ledge. Maybe he really had misjudged the group, and should place a little more faith in them. He'll think about it later when he came back.

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Kenny sat in a chair by Kai who had Tyson in his lap, staring down at his hands. Rei and Max sat on the sofa looking at him. They all waited for Kenny to say a word. But he knew he would never have the strength to do anything without Tala there. Earlier while they were all eating breakfast, Kenny told them he wanted to tell me his story. No one said a word for a long moment until Tyson, for the first time in days opened his mouth saying he wanted to hear it.

Rei and Max's agreement came later, and he didn't need to know that Kai wanted to hear it, because that was what he waited for since Kenny woke up. While Tala went back to the abbey to get a fresh change of clothes, it was Kai that encouraged him, telling him that everything was going to be fine. Kenny believed Kai, and he believed Tala. He wasn't going to run away anymore. He had people who would stand by him no matter what.

"Start any time you feel comfortable," Kai stated, breaking Kenny from his thoughts. His blue eyes looked into the auburn ones, seeing reassurance. "Or do you want to wait until Tala gets back?"

"I…" Kenny bit his bottom lip, looking from Tyson to Max and Rei. They needed to know, he knew that now. Yet he was still afraid if they knew, he would be alone; that they would never accept him for what happened.

"Take your time, we'll wait until Tala gets back," Kai voiced. Kenny only nodding, relieved he would have his love with him. The minutes ticked away as the Bladebreakers sat in silence in the living room of their suite. Eventually, there was a knock on the hotel room door. Kai moved Tyson from his lap while getting up to answer the door. Moments later, Kai came back with Tala.

"Sorry it took me so long, ran into a little snag with Boris, but we have that all cleared up," Tala grinned, taking his seat beside Kenny. Kai reseated himself with Tyson, shaking his head.

"And I'm surprised you don't have any bruises when Boris clears up things," Kai remarked.

"I was saved by a phone call. So, was I interrupting?"

"No, we were waiting for you before Kenny began, he feels comfortable with you here. Are you ready to tell them now Kenny?" Kai questioned.

Kenny nodded, looking over at Tala, then the other boys in the room. For a long minute, there was silence as Kenny recollected all the memories he could of his childhood. He felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist, pulling him closer to the body beside him for support and comfort. "I guess I should start from the beginning, the day I found my mother dead on the bathroom floor when I was four. I remember calling her name over and over again trying to get her to wake up, but she wouldn't. She just laid there…my father came home to find me huddled by her, having cried myself to sleep."

"She was your entire world, wasn't she?" Kai inquired.

"Yes," Kenny said.

"I suppose it goes the same for any one here."

"I suppose so," Kenny smiled. "The first time my father hit me was after her funeral. I wouldn't eat and he was upset with me. He chased me to my room and took off his belt. I had no idea…no idea that would be the start of what my life barreled to. How he would end up locking in closets for days on end with no food or water, how he would beat me for anything with anything he got his hands on. I suppose he didn't start verbally abusing me until I was well into elementary school."

"He locked you in…" It was Max's respond that broke Kenny out of his semi broken memories. Looking at the blonde, he found tears streaming down Max's face. "How could anyone be so cruel to lock their own flesh and blood in a closet like that? I would never be able to do something that horrible."

"I don't know Max. Maybe it's because I lived and my mother died," Kenny shrugged. "I never found out his reasons for hurting me. I just wanted to try to live."

"Did he always hit you or lock you in closets?" Rei inquired.

"I suppose when he was home, or not drunk, or not in a temperamental mood…which I guess tended to be ten percent. I tried to stay out of his way when I could," Kenny said.

"What…what about your scar?" Tyson whispered. "He did that too?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"That day…" Kenny trailed off for a moment, until he felt the arms around him tightly slightly. "That day I was in the living room reading. My father…he screamed at me that it was my fault for him losing his job and beat me. He didn't stop until I couldn't stand. He ordered for me to go to my room, but I couldn't. I made it to the steps and collapsed on them crying." Closing his eyes, Kenny could still see his father over him. "I saw the knife in his hand…his eyes was crazed, I pleaded for him to stop but…"

"W-would you show us?" Rei asked quietly.

"You really want to see it?" Kenny watched as everyone around him nodded silently. Pulling up his shirt, he heard the gasps of all his friends. "My father left me to die out in the hall once he finished punishing me as he called it. With the little strength I could manage, I called my aunt to tell her I was going to die then I fell into darkness, hoping that I could once again see my mother. But they saved me and I lived wondering what there was left to live for, so I tried to kill myself. My aunt saved me."

"I'm glad you're still alive, you would have never had anyone know the real story," Max smiled, tears running down his face.

"And each one of you saved me again, I owe you my life for staying by me," Kenny replied, lowering his shirt.

"You're our friend," Kai responded. "The team would not have felt whole without you. You're important to each one of us."

"Thank you Kai for saying that. A little while ago I wouldn't have believed that I could tell anyone about my past. About all the pain my father inflicted on me, or how much I just wanted him to love me…sometimes I still do, but he probably hasn't come to terms with things yet. Maybe in the future I can forgive him and myself for things. But I know that as long as I have everyone by my side…I can walk towards the future I deserved," Kenny said.

"And we will continue to walk by your side no matter what," Tyson finally spoke up, an all too familiar smile returning to his lips. "Welcome back to the team, Chief."

A smile that Kenny thought had long ago vanished when he first stepped into that dark closet away from the warmth of others, reached his face. He was no longer afraid of his past, and as long as they were all there for him, he could continue to take one step at a time. Glancing back, he really thanked his guardian angel who showed him that nothing was impossible, not even smiling again.

"I'm happy to be back." Maybe…this really was his mother's will working here. Maybe some higher force who wanted to show him there was no reason to lose hope. Or…it was fated for the two of them to meet here in Russia. Whatever it was, he now was thankful to it for opening his battered heart to the kind hands which held him now. 'Thank you so much for everything, Tala.'

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Rim: And there we go! Do you think I need another chapter or should I end it right here? Give me your feedback and I'll see if we need a little epilogue for this one or not. Good bye now!


	15. Rebirth

Rim: Well, the long road has finally come to an end. The final chapter of Scars, and there's a few things that will be covered to tie in this story. So sit back and enjoy the last pieces of the puzzle being fit in place for a great ending. And thanks to all the reviewers that supported this story.

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"Kenny?" Tala walked up to the brunette who stood outside looking up at the sky, his soft blue eyes studying something upwards. Eventually, Kenny lowered his head, his gaze falling on Tala. "What are you doing out here?"

Puffs of air rose through the air with each breath they both took. Kenny wore a thick coat to cover his body the last thing that he wanted was to worry the others by catching pneumonia after just coming out the hospital. A light wind swirled up, teasing wisps of his hair before he pushed them behind his ear. Seeing the curious look in Tala's eyes, he smiled lightly, raising a hand to point to the sky. "The stars."

"The stars? What about the stars?" Tala inquired, closing the distance between them. Pulling Kenny's body close to his, he wrapped his arms around the slender waist and looked up at the sky where the twinkling stars were.

"I kept wonder, which stars are her tears for me?" Kenny said. "Long ago, I remember asking my mother why stars exist, she told me they were the tears of mothers who watched over their children once they were gone. I think she knew she wasn't going to see me grow up."

"I understand, so now you're trying to figure out which stars would represent the tears she's shed for you over all these years?" Tala asked.

"Yeah," Kenny nodded. Looking up at Tala, he found the red head looking up at the sky, his eyes shifting from one star to another before finally resting on a spot. "Tala?"

"I think I know which stars are hers," he said. Raising his hand, he pointed to a grouping of the brightest stars in the sky that night. "The brightest ones above us, those are hers."

"How can you be sure?" Kenny asked looking up at the group Tala was talking about.

"Because, those stars feel like they were placed there to watch over you," Tala smiled. Kenny let out a short laugh, hearing what Tala was saying. Tala lowered his eyes from the stars to look down at the teen laughing in his arms. "And what is it you find so funny?"

"I'm still wondering who do I like better, that Tala I knew nothing about whose sappiness I questioned, or the one that I know now whose sappiness I still question," Kenny chuckled. Looking up at Tala, he found a light pout crossing that beautiful face that he loved and admired.

"I am not sappy," Tala argued.

"Yes you are. When you're with me, you're different, but not in a bad way. You finally let your mask down too and showed me the real you," Kenny said quietly. "You're a very passionate person who cares a lot for others. It was different when I first met you. I didn't think you were…"

"Sweet?" Tala grinned.

"If you say so," Kenny laughed. "But, you were…well…I suppose you had a glow about you that I've never seen before. It got me off guard and I haven't been able to straighten myself out since."

"Do you really want to straighten yourself out?" Tala murmured.

"No…I suppose not. So, Tala…I want to know, what now? Now that I'm better, what is next for us? I'm going to be leaving Russia soon to go back to Japan," Kenny stated.

"I know," Tala nodded. "But I can't come with you. There are a few things that I have to do while I'm still here. And you need to go back to mend things with your foster parents."

"I know, but after that, do I just forget about you?" Kenny questioned.

"Of course not, once I straighten things out with the others, then I'll send you a letter saying it's okay to come back," Tala said.

"What do you have to do considering the others? I'm assuming you mean your team?" Kenny looked up at the stars once more.

"Well, remember when I told you that I didn't think they understood me and that I didn't think I could confide in them?" Tala remarked. Kenny only gave a short nod, listening to what the red head had to say. "Well, it seems that I was wrong. Maybe I can repair the ties between us and things will be fine."

"There's no reason you shouldn't try," Kenny stated. "You told me that I should place more trust in those around me, and I think following your own piece of advice wouldn't hurt."

"Oh, now you want to be a smart aleck," Tala laughed. "I see how you are now that you're better."

"I learned from you after all," Kenny smiled. "You only have yourself to blame for how I'm turning out, Tala." Kenny heard Tala laugh again, shaking his head back and forth before silence fell over them. "Tala…after you settle things with your team mates, and I settle things with my aunt and uncle, will I really be ready to move on. My father is still alive, and…"

"Don't worry about that step for now. Just think of one thing at a time," Tala murmured. "If you want to show your father that his hold on you has finally broken, we'll do that later. For now, just think about showing the world that smile you were forced to hide away."

"As long as you'll be with me to help me show it," Kenny stated.

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-2 years later-

Kenny knelt down in front of the smooth slate slab of concrete that made up the tombstone. Running his hand lightly over the material, he read the name engraved on it out loud. Lowering his eyes, he said a silent prayer, hoping that indeed his mother was still looking over him from heaven. The soft footsteps with crunch of gravel under their feet made Kenny look up to find his aunt. The woman had a short smile on her face, but her eyes held tears.

The brunette, now the age of fifteen stood up from the grave, turning to face the woman that stood no more than a foot away. She said nothing, allowing her eyes to lower to the grave behind him, before lifting back up to study his face. More tears rolled down her face before she walked up to him and hugged Kenny.

"Can't I do anything to stop you? You know I'm going to miss you so much, and so will your uncle," she murmured into his hair.

"It's okay, I'm not leaving forever," Kenny smiled. "But I need to make this trip. Allow me to go, and don't worry, I promise to write and call you plenty."

"And there's nothing I can do to stop you, is there Kenny?" His aunt pulled back, brushing wisps of burnt sienna out of his face, staring deep into his eyes. He really wasn't the same boy that left for Russia two years ago his eyes were much lighter, as if the past did not matter any more. Whatever or whoever happened to him, she was thankful.

"No, I told you, I have to do this," Kenny said softly. No more than a week ago, he received a letter from Tala stating that everything had been settled and he and the other Demolition Boys were living in a house supporting themselves with the help of Boris or the abbey. Tala also asked Kenny if he still wanted to come back. Kenny had hurriedly packed his bags.

He never told his aunt and uncle the truth about what happened in Russia, the only thing he mentioned was finding a guardian angel his mother thought he needed tremendously. One day he promised himself that he would tell them everything. And hopefully they would understand the choice he made in life. He had yet to confront his father over the past, but he figured eventually he would do so, before it was too late above all.

"Will you at least tell me…about this guardian angel, the one that sent you the letter?" the woman questioned.

"My guardian angel, well…there's not much to say. I promise that tell you everything about them when I return in a few months. I should get going auntie. I had to see mother before I leave. Don't worry my friends in Russia will take care of me. I will call the minute I get there."

"All right," his aunt sighed, knowing she wasn't going to win the battle. Kenny gave the woman a light kiss on the cheek before walking towards the car that was pulling up to the curb. Reaching down and grabbing his suitcase, Kenny smiled once more at her before walking towards the car. Max, Kai, Tyson, and Rei were in the back seat, driving was Max's mother and sitting up front with her was Tyson's father.

"Hi guys," Kenny said softly, once reaching the car. Max opened the door for his friend and grabbed the suitcase.

"All aboard for the next stop to the airport to take the plane to Russia," Tyson grinned, imitating a conductor.

"Are you ready Kenny?" Kai inquired, ignoring his boyfriend's remark with a slight shake of his head.

"As ready as I can be," Kenny said to his "brother". Kai gave him a short smile which Kenny returned. He really didn't know if he could have been as open towards his aunt and uncle about how he felt and what went on when he was younger if Kai hadn't been there. Well, not just Kai alone, but Kai was really the brother he never got to have.

"You know we're going to miss you, you better write as much as you possibly can," Rei said. "Or I'm sure that a lot of people will have to come kill you."

"Like me!" Tyson chimed.

"I promise I won't forget to write or call," Kenny said, climbing into the backseat of the car with his team mates. But they were more than team mates now.

"And if you don't write, we're going to come to Russia and have to scold you thoroughly about it," Max said in a teasing tone.

"And don't you and Tala…" Tyson was about to say something when Kai put a hand over his mouth, shutting him up.

"Thank you for shutting him up," Max said. That earned a mumbled response from Tyson who struggled to pull free from Kai until Kai leaned over and mumbled something into the dark haired teen's ear. Tyson went crimson, sitting back while Kai pulled his hand away with a triumphant smirk.

"Much better," Kai said to Tyson.

"I don't want to know," Max shook his head.

"Well, at least he was stopped from saying what he was going to say," Rei remarked.

"True," Max agreed.

"I think I'm going to miss you all too much," Kenny admitted. "But I know it's going to be for just a few months, and Tala and the other Demolition Boys will be there. Maybe it will be like having you all there."

"I'm pretty sure that you will find some similarities between us and them," Kai said. "I know from experience that Ian can be as worrisome as Tyson use to be."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Tyson demanded with a light pout.

"Nothing," Kai said. "Remember what I told you Tyson."

"You're mean."

"I know," Kai smiled. As Kenny sat back listening to the others while he let his mind drift away just a little from his team mates…no…that wasn't correct anymore. They were his friends, and like a family to him. He didn't really know what he would have done if they hadn't been there for him. He owed them a lot for sticking by his side, and for listening to his untold story.

He also owed a certain red head Russian captain of a certain Russian beyblade team a lot. Maybe just a little bit more than the rest, Tala had after all, given him a reason to survive in this world. A world he would have locked himself away in and disappeared from sight. But soon, he was going to show Tala that his efforts were going to pay off. All he had to do was wait a few hours, Kenny thought with a smile, he had a feeling would stay on his lips for a long time to come if Tala had a saying in it.

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Rim: And there we go! An ending you really can't beat, well you probably could but I think it sets the story on an even pace for your imaginations to work their own magic. Thanks for enjoying this story. Until another time and story!


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